Chuck vs The Rome Assignment
by Foghreups
Summary: This is a reposting of Chuck vs The Rome Assignment. The story begins after Chuck vs The Final Exam. Original posting is now complete. Final chapter and epilogue will be posted soon.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Ok a couple of things before hand. First off, English is not my native language, in fact my native language is Dutch, so there could be some rather foolish mistakes that have crept in._

_Secondly, this is the first fan fic I've written, I've written stories before, but the last time I actually wrote something substantial was about eight years ago. _

_Finally, if you are looking for fluffy Charah this will probably not be a story for you. I was inspired to write this after re-watching the disaster that was season 3. I was pissed with the way they pretended to resolve the whole Charah relationship, so I've decided to change it. That also means there will be some Sham in this story, don't worry I will resolve it a few chapters in(that's my current plan anyway), I promise, and I will resolve it in a way that will satisfy most people, atleast I hope. I've already outlined a lot in my mind, and no this will not be one of those stories that unites Charah after three chapters and then has them fall into each others arms and declare their undying love, and yes before you ask I am a massive shipper, but I found the whole them getting together forced on the show. So if I will put Charah together, that will be quite a long way down the road. Note that doesn't mean I won't mention Charah.._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Chuck, nor do I own any characters from the Chuck universe. This will contain some spoilers up to episode 3x12 Chuck vs The American Hero._

**Chuck Versus The Rome Assignment**

** Chapter 1: Leaving Burbank**

As Chuck was making his way to Buy More plaza in Burbank he still couldn't wrap his head around what General Beckman had told him the previous day. He had a hard enough time coming to terms with all the things that had happened with him since that e-mail that Bryce Larkin sent him on his 27th birthday, but the last year has been crazy, with what happened in the fight against Fulcrum, finding his father, removing and then downloading the intersect, then the mistake he made in Prague, his training that failed, the entrance of Shaw and the new enemies of the Ring, the meeting with Beckman was just another thing that added to all of that.

Beckman wanted him to go to Rome, where he would be staying at some luxurious Villa, and the thought of being sent there alone, without the people that had guided him through this world he was still uncomfortable with, scared him more than anything. It was why he tried the squirm himself out of it, it wasn't until Beckman told him he got to pick his own team that he eased into the idea. Still even as his mind is now getting used to the idea of heading up his own operation in Rome, it still felt weird that he would have to leave behind Burbank, and his friends and his sister, and possibly the woman he still considered to be the greatest thing that ever happened to him, even though nothing ever actually happened between them other then them both hurting each other.

As he pulled up between the Orange Orange and the Buy More, and parked his car, he took it all in. He realised that this was one of the last times he would be here. There was after all little chance that even if he made it through his assignment, that he would be allowed to return to Burbank after it was all done, Sarah had told him that much a long time ago.

As he looked from a distance at the Buy More he felt odd in realising he would miss the place and it's crazy antics, even that off Jeffster. As crazy as those two were, they really have had an impact on his life, some intentional some unintentional. Those two really were the kind of crazy people you would tell your grandchildren about. Not that it seemed like he would ever have grandchildren at the rate of things, but still a valid thought nonetheless.

There were however more important things on his mind, there was a more important reason for him to be here. The reason being Sarah Walker. When the General told him he could take any person he wanted to Rome, he knew who he wanted. Of course there could only be three people he could ever dream of taking with him, and those people just happened to be in Burbank. There were however complicating situations. He was sure he could get the other two resolved, but the situation with Sarah was something different, after all he really screwed the pooch on that one, they both did. There was so much that was pushing them apart right now, and it wasn't even really about their job anymore.

There was so much pain and anguish between them, so much history that threatened to separate them for the rest of their life, he couldn't even think of how he could fix this. So much has happened since the day of Ellie's wedding. Sarah telling him she was leaving with Bryce, him downloading the intersect, the catastrophe of Prague, regardless if that plan was completely asinine or not, he didn't handle it as he should have, he had hoped that they could have worked through that, but even his confession of how he felt and why he did what he did hadn't come close to somewhat softening her, she kept insisting on pushing him away, and his own behaviour didn't help. She was right he had changed and not for the better over the last few months, the lying, the deceiving, it was beginning to leave a mark on his soul, and he managed to pull the brakes, he had managed to turn it back around, but it could be to late. He had already hurt her, maybe not as much as she had hurt him the years before but still, not to mention how he had crushed Hannah. Of course she wasn't doing much better these last few years, constantly manipulating him with his own feelings, kissing him and yelling at him afterwards, constantly giving him some hope and then crushing it mercilessly, then after Prague, and the arrival of Shaw the things that had hurt him the most, the ease in which she started dating him, and the ease with which she told him her real name. It was probably the most painful thing he experienced in the years he had known her. All those years of telling him I can't talk about my past, it's too hard for me, it seemed like it was all a matter of trust, and perhaps even of love.

So this was it for him, for them, the time was up, he knew Beckman had given him a week to get his act straightened out, but he wasn't going to hassle her after this. The pain had to stop for the both of them, and that meant that whatever she decides today, is the decision they both will have to live with, he just hoped that if she picked Shaw, she would be happy, she deserved that.

After a few deep breaths he walked up to the Orange Orange for what would be a life defining conversation for both of them. This just couldn't go well, not with their track record. He quickly entered the Orange Orange and noticed that at least she wasn't upstairs so she had to be in Castle, he momentarily checked on the upstairs monitor if Shaw was around but he was pleased to see he wasn't, he didn't need distractions and interruptions for once he and Sarah needed to talk honestly, if he can just keep himself composed.

Nervously he entered his access codes and entered Castle, this was it.

**"**Hey, um." He began nervously

**"**You're back." She answered him, flat and cold, he instantly knew this was Agent Walker he was dealing with rather than Sarah the girl.

**"**I've been calling you for-for a couple days now, you know, there's a lot we need to talk about"

**"**I know, I'm sorry…been a little..." she kept walking around, fumbling with papers, clearly she was trying to avoid looking at him.

**"**Crazy, yeah, I-I know.. Beckman flew me to D.C., I got my badge, it's official now, I'm an agent." Some enthusiasm was creeping into his voice, yet he was still nervous, this wasn't going like it should.

**"**Congratulations, you earned it." Still no emotion, what the hell is going on he thought to himself. They seemed to be getting closer before the night on the train tracks, and now this. He had to keep trying though

**"**You know the CIA, they're sending me to Italy, you wouldn't believe the villa they're putting me up in, I'm suppose to be some rich young playboy, but who cares about that, the-the point is Sarah, I want you to go with me."

**"**Chuck, I can't." 

**"**No, Beckman said I get to choose my own team, cream of the crop, that's you!" He said, pleading almost begging her.

**"**I'm going to Washington okay, and I'm going with Shaw." It seemed to him like she added the last part to hurt him.

**"**Wai-Wha-Wait a minute, wasn't this the plan? There's nothing stopping us from being together, I passed my spy test." He pleaded to her again.

**"**That's why I can't be with you okay, you're not, you're not the same guy I fell for." Pain was slightly audible in her voice, but she tried and succeeded in keeping her Agent Mask up.

**"**How, why, because I'm an agent now, How am I not the same guy?" he asked her with confusion clear in his voice.

**"**You killed somebody Chuck, I saw you kill the mole!" she exclaimed, he was almost relieved there was still some emotion there, even if it was disappointment and pain.

**"**Sarah, I know what you think you saw on the train tracks, but it's not that simple, it's more complicated than that, it's not what you think, and I need you to believe me." His voice dripping with despair.

**"**I don't." her voice was now clearly filled with pain, remorse, disappointment.

They just stood there for a while, both unsure what to say, both with thoughts racing through their heads. Both realising that this could very well be the end of what fragile bit had remained between them that resembled a relationship. Even friendship seemed to drift out of their reach now.

"Are you even listening to yourself right now Sarah?" Chuck asked, with pain, confusion and anger in his voice. "Do you even understand how hypocritical everything you say is? Do you even realise that all the reasons you claim for me being changed, and for being someone unworthy of your love are things Shaw has done, and things that Bryce has done, and Cole, and you. You really have gone to pathetic lengths to prevent us from ever being together. All these years of excuses and saying oh Chuck it's because you are an asset, when I was just a civilian you were leaving, so all that was left for any hope for us was to become an agent, well you knew what it meant to become an Agent what it would mean I had to do. Quite the Catch 22 I'd say." He said angrily.

He knew he was saying things he might regret when he would think about it later but he couldn't find the power to stop himself, not that he really wanted to anyway.

"You know I finally am starting to understand everything from the last three years, you never cared about me, let alone have romantic feelings, all those times you held it in front of me, like some bone for a dog, all you were doing was handling your asset. Well Agent Walker," he said adding venom to the word Agent, "I applaud you for a job well done", he said while cynically applauding her.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, after everything she had done, after everything she had done to keep him safe and to keep him out of a bunker, and after her wanting to sacrifice everything in Prague, he still questioned if she even cared about him. Worst of all, he was talking as if she was just another agent in his mind now. Doesn't the idiot understand that it isn't about him changing, it is about her responsibility for tainting his soul forever, and how on earth is he so unfazed by it anyway. There was only one thing she could do and that was to try and talk some sense into him, meanwhile hoping that he would bother even listening to her, as he seemed to talk from pain rather than his head.

"Chuck, you rea-," She started, but he interrupted her.

"NO, ENOUGH!" He yelled, he sounded angrier than she had ever heard him before, and even Chuck himself didn't realise he could get this angry, not with her anyway.

"I'm done listening to your lies Agent Walker, I just have had enough of it. All these years and all I got to show for it are emotional and physical scars. All these years and you still can't trust me, not in my abilities as a spy, and not in me as a person." He didn't sound angry anymore, he just sounded defeated and tired of all that has happened between them over the years.

"You say you can't get past me killing someone, that that would mean I've changed, and all I ask is for you to trust me that there is more to that story, and you can't even do that. You can't even trust me the only time, in all the time that we've spent together, that I ask you to trust me. I needed you to trust ME, Sarah, not agent Bartowski or Carmichael or whatever, I needed you to trust Chuck, the man that hates guns, the man that despises himself for constantly lying, the man that is in this rotten spy world to actually make a difference for the people he loves, the man that loved everything about you Sarah Walker" Tears were starting to form in his eyes, he knew he had to leave if he wanted to keep his composure in front of her.

"You know what, just forget it, I've got to go."

He started walking up the stairs towards the exit of Castle, while she just stood there. Baffled by all that he said, was there really more to him killing the mole than what she had seen? There couldn't be could there? But there was so much emotion, there seemed to be so much truth and genuine pain in his statements, what on earth was going on? Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by his voice.

"Goodbye Agent Walker" he said his voice as flat as he could get it with all the emotions that were racing through his mind.

"Goodbye Chuck" She whispered, as the Castle doors closed.

Chuck quickly made his way out of the Orange Orange, his shoulders slumped with disappointment, and his thoughts racing about what just happened he felt in no condition to be dealing with the people at the Buy More. The annoying customers who didn't even have the decency to treat anyone working there as a human being, the crazy antics of Jeff and Lester which always ended up as his responsibility to solve or prevent, or Morgan's crazy ramblings.

Yes he loved Morgan as a brother but he had to admit that Morgan could even annoy him at times, though granted he had matured a lot over the last few months. Now however he needed time for himself, time away from all those things. He remembered the incidents at the Buy More after the Ring took Devon, he realised that it's not just important for him to take that distance but for the Buy Morons as well. So he pulled out his iPhone and quickly dialled Morgan.

"_Hey Chuck, what's up?" Morgan said in his typical cheery way._

"Hey Morgan, I need you to do me a favour" Chuck could hear the pain was audible in his voice but he didn't care to camouflage it, this was Morgan no show was needed there, Morgan was the last person he could be completely honest to, but he wasn't going to tell him everything just yet.

"_Sure thing man, what you need"_

"I need you to cover for me with Big Mike, I need some time to figure some stuff out, I'll tell you about it later buddy"

"_You got it man, no problem"_

"Thanks Morgan, I'll see you back at the apartment"

As Chuck made his way to the herder to leave, Morgan was staring out of the Buy More and could see what was probably going on. It was clear where Chuck was coming from, and you didn't need to be some doctor to figure out what had happened.

Before Chuck had any idea what he was doing he was at his favourite place on the beach. The same spot where he had ended up after his first fake date with Sarah. Just like then he had some important decisions to make, just like then he was at a crossroads, just like then the decision had already been made for him. Back then it was Bryce who had forced him into this world when he had sent him the Intersect, now it was Sarah who had apparently decided she had moved on. All that was left for Chuck was to move on aswell, but doing that wasn't as easy. All he knew was that he needed to get the hell out of Burbank, away from all the memories, so it meant he had to go to Rome. He pulled his legs up to his chest as tears were starting glistening in his eyes, and he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had just gone with her in Prague. He sighed as tears starting running down his face.

X-X-X-X-X

She pulled upto the beach, she knew she would find him here, it was his spot, it had been their spot, though she wasn't sure if there was a them anymore. Actually she was quite sure that there wasn't. Morgan had called her an hour before, telling her he was worried about Chuck, saying he had called Morgan a few hours earlier clearly distraught about something. She just had to finish her shift before she could go look for him. She was tired of seeing him hurt, but she also knew that he needed someone now. As she walked up to him she could see him quietly sobbing, legs still pulled up to his chest. "Oh Chuck" She sighed quietly as she started making her way over to him. He didn't acknowledge her, as she sat down next to him, and they both just stared at the rolling waves in silence.

As she sat down next to him, he wiped the tears from his face, and tried to compose himself enough to stop crying, even if it was just for a few minutes. He quickly glanced at the woman now sitting next to him who was apparently looking at the water, but he knew she was dying to say something, he was thankful that she didn't. He was thankful that she let him decide when he was ready. She was clearly there just to show she was there for him, he loved her for it, but he knew he wanted to talk about it as well, so after a few minutes he decided to speak up.

"I just can't do this anymore El" he began softly, she didn't respond but just looked at him questioningly, silently motioning him to elaborate.

He took a couple of deep breaths to prevent himself from tearing up again before continuing.

"I can't keep doing this dance between me and Sarah" he continued his voice slightly cracking. "You and I both know how special Sarah is sis, and I think everybody knows how I feel about her, but I have to stop letting her push me around like she has done for the past years, I have to find a way to get past this. I thought that her pushing me away had some reasons from her past, and that she just wasn't capable of certain things, but she was El, she has known this new guy for weeks and she has already shared more with him than she ever did with me." Tears were starting to form in his eyes again, but this time he made no attempt to stop them from rolling down his face. "All these years I just wanted to know who she was, and I just wanted some form of commitment, and all I heard was, I can't Chuck, now this new guy knows everything about her and I just can't be around to see that anymore."

Tears were now streaming down his face again, he knew he couldn't tell her the entire story, of how Sarah had handled him all those years, what her true motives had been, how he was an idiot for playing this along, but he needed to tell her something, he couldn't keep this from her, not from her. Such a long time of lying to her, he really wanted to tell her everything but he knew he couldn't.

Ellie couldn't take seeing her brother this hurt. Even after all that had happened at Stanford, the fiasco with Jill, and the betrayal by Bryce, she had never seen him this hurt. Part of her wanted to go to the Orange Orange and hurt Sarah, or atleast give her a piece of her mind, but for now all she could do was comfort her little brother so she wrapped her arms around her as he was quietly sobbing on her shoulder.

After sitting there for a while, Chuck spoke again, his voice still a bit shaky. "I have to leave town for a while El. I'm sure Devon told you about Washington, at first I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I just have to leave this all behind, and honestly I don't know for how long." Ellie just nodded understandingly, she would hate seeing her brother leave, but then again she was going to Africa, she could understand his desires, so she just asked "When are you leaving" she asked almost whispering. "I was planning to leave at the end of the week, but now I'm thinking the day after tomorrow" he responded hesitantly. "I just want to say goodbye to everyone tomorrow, also I need you to do one thing for me sis"

"Sure Chuck what is it?"

"Please don't go talk to Sarah, I know you want to, but please don't"

Reluctantly she agreed "Okay Chuck, but tomorrow we are going to have a dinner just us, and Morgan, and perhaps John"

Chuck turned to her and gave her a small smile, he loved his sister for taking care of him like this, he owed her so much, yet he couldn't even give her the simple truth, though granted it was probably not that simple of a truth "That would be nice, thank you sis. I love you."

"I love you to little brother"

X-X-X-X-X-X

After sitting there just talking a little about the past they decided it was time to go. The talk with Ellie had cleared Chuck's mind a little, at least enough to get his head back in the game so he could start planning for Rome. He knew the two members he wanted, the last member he would have to decide in Rome. The task at hand for now would be to convince Beckman to let him bring the people he wanted. He was sure she was going to object, so he decided to take a nights rest before going to talk to Beckman.

They finally made it back to Echo Park, and both Ellie and Chuck made their way to their own apartment. As Chuck opened the door he saw that Morgan had ordered them some of the famous Sizzling Shrimp, yet the little bearded man was no where to be seen.

"Hey Morgan, you home?" Chuck yelled through the bachelor pad.

"Hey Chuck, good to see you're back." Morgan answered with relief apparent in his voice as he walked into the room, and handed his best friend some Sizzling Shrimp.

"You were the one that called Ellie weren't you?" Chuck asked, clearly noting that there was some relief in his friends voice.

"Yeah well you know, you sounded depressed, and I saw you walking away from the Orange Orange, so I thought you could use someone to be there, and we both know how great Ellie is at that kind of stuff."

"Thanks buddy, Ellie really was a huge help" he said with a grateful smile on his face.

Morgan just nodded as they sat down to eat their favourite Sizzling Shrimp. For a while they were just sitting there, talking about random things, like Jeff and Lester's crazy antics of that day, both realised that Chuck didn't want to talk about Sarah. After a while though Chuck had to ask Morgan something important.

"I need to ask you something important" Chuck began steering the conversation to where he needed to take it.

"Okay" Morgan answered hesitantly clearly not sure what to make of this.

"General Beckman wants me to go to Rome, and I was thinking of asking her if you could come with me. As an analyst of sorts. But of course only if you want to, and I'm not sure what she would say, but you know it would be awesome if you could come with" Chuck started rambling.

Morgan just sat there dumbfounded by what his best friend was asking him, it was afterall everything they ever dreamed about when they were kids, spies together that would be a pretty sweet deal. Excitement was slowly starting to take over, and a huge grin was forming on his face.

"Of course I would love to go with you man, but are you sure you want that Chuck?" Morgan said trying not to jump his friend straight away.

"Of course I do buddy, I need someone that can keep me sane between all those spies, and without Sarah and Ellie, the only one that can do that is you. I just hope I can convince Beckman of that" saying the last part contemplatively. "I will have to talk to her tomorrow, so don't quit the Buy More just yet, but I want to take you and Casey, and when we get to Rome we are going to have to pick a replacement for Sarah. I'm thinking a brunette" he said smirking at the part about the brunette.

"But for now, I think we should have another old fashioned game night, bit of Duck Hunt, couple of beers, and luckily we already have the Sizzling Shrimp"

Morgan just smiled at him before saying "That sounds awesome"

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next morning Chuck was woken up rather early by his alarm clock. It had been a long night with Morgan. They had talked about a lot, mostly about the crazy things they had done in the past, but Sarah had inadvertently come up as a part of the conversation, and Morgan had convinced him he needed to either give her a proper goodbye, or at the very least leave her a letter. He knew Morgan was right, but that wasn't the reason for waking up early. He wanted to get to Castle to prevent running into Sarah or Shaw, when going to talk to Beckman. He was just hoping Beckman would be in a good mood. He would have to deal with Sarah later.

He quickly showered, not wasting time as he might have done normally in waking up while being under the relaxing streams of water, and got dressed. He decided he'd get some breakfast after talking to Beckman, so he grabbed a bottle of water, and made his way to the herder.

He drove up to the Orange Orange, and much like the day before he made his way inside nervously. Much like the day before it was an important visit, yet he felt different, more confident that things would work out on this visit, then he had the day before. He realised that as much of an annoyance Beckman was, she had become easier to talk to than Sarah.

As he made his way into Castle he sighed in relief, no Shaw, that was a good thing. Shaw was not his favourite person in the world right now. Besides he needed a private talk with Beckman, no intrusions. There was a time where Sarah's help would have been instrumental in him dealing with Beckman but now, she would be more of a nuisance, probably saying wanting to take Casey and Morgan would be unprofessional. Then again, Chuck wasn't your average professional spy. Chuck moved forward, and made the connection to Beckman's office, hoping to find her in a good mood. That would be a first, he smiled to himself.

"What is it Agent Bartowski?" Beckman said, clearly sounding annoyed, perhaps she was still bothered by their conversation a few days earlier, when Chuck got his new assignment.

"General I've been thinking about who I want on my team"

"Well out with it Bartowski"

"Ma'am, I'm not sure if you are going to like this" he started hesitantly, before continuing he took a deep breath. "but I want to take Casey and Morgan Grimes"

The General looked at him strangely, before letting out a sigh, "Let me get this straight Agent Bartowski, we are sending you on a high level assignment, while still being a high level intelligence asset, and you want to take a known traitor and a civilian with you?"

"That is correct Ma'am, but if you allow me to elaborate, I'm certain I could explain my position to a satisfying extent" he said with confidence matching that of his Carmichael persona.

"Very well agent Bartowski"

"Thank you ma'am. General, whatever the nature of the mission is, I need, well actually we need people around me that guarantee not only that the operation is successful, but also guarantee that the Intersect is functioning, and it's identity is protected, that means we need people on this assignment that I trust, and that I can rely on."

The General nodded motioning him to continue.

"Well General, Casey and Morgan are exactly that. Now I know Morgan is not an operative, and I'm not planning to use him in the field, I do however think he has potential as an analyst, and he would help keep the intersect under control. We both know general, the importance that agent Walker had, in keeping my emotions and conscience and with that the intersect in check, with her moving on to a new assignment with her boyfriend" the word boyfriend received a frown from Beckman "special agent Shaw, we need someone to step in, as to make sure my emotions won't mess with the intersect. Morgan has already proven, when we were held captive in Castle, that he can do exactly that, and keep his head cool in trouble. Besides he's the most loyal person I know, ensuring the safety of my identity as the intersect"

Beckman just looked at him contemplatively for a while before answering "You present some very good points regarding Mister Grimes, Agent Bartowski, you are free to bring him as an analyst, but you are responsible for his training, and his functioning. If he fails that comes back to you. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" Chuck said relief clear in his voice, and face.

"Now what about John Casey, Agent Bartowski?"

"Well General, I know what he did, but there are mitigating circumstances. Now I'm not asking you to forget about what he has done, for he took the wrong way of handling things, but I belief that given the circumstances, a demotion back to Major or perhaps even captain would suffice as ampel punishment. After all he was doing what he did, to protect his daughter, and his former fiancée."

"Excuse me?"

"General, the ring had capture his daughter and his former fiancée, they left him no choice but to help them. We only arrived just in time to save them, after reacquiring the Laudenol. Besides ma'am, as said, we need someone that helps with the functioning of the intersect, we need someone I can trust and rely on, and someone that will protect the identity of the intersect at all cost, and will terminate it if the needs there, seeing there are only three trained field agents that have worked with the intersect, and I only trust one of them. That person is John Casey. The man that has given his life for his country, but didn't want to take that decision for his family." He looked confidently at the General, it was out of his hands now.

"Very well Agent Bartowski, you can bring Major Casey with you to Rome, but the same deal as with Mister Grimes goes with the Major, if he fails it is on your head, and you will be glad if I don't send you to some bunker in Alaska."

"Thank you Ma'am. As for the final member of the team, I would like the files of the 10 best female field agents, after Agent Walker of course, to be made available to me upon arriving in Rome. I'd advise a trial period spanning about a month, before we consider briefing her about the full extent on the mission, including the most important details. I'd like to leave for Rome tomorrow."

"Very well Agent Bartowski, I will be arranging your flight." And with that Beckman's face disappeared from the screen. Chuck couldn't help but sigh in relief, this had gone better than expected.

X-X-X-X-X

Back in Washington, Beckman was glad that the intersect had finally gotten his head back into the game. She had wondered why he had gone to Burbank, clearly it had to do with agent Walker, who has compromised herself yet again, this time with Agent Shaw. Perhaps she would have to have a word with Walker.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck entered the Buy More, looking for John Casey, the store had just opened up, and he knew that there was a good chance Casey was here. After a few seconds he heard someone grunting to Jeff, and he knew he had found him. He quickly made his way over.

"Hey Casey" Chuck said somewhat cheerily

"Bartowski" Casey grunted

"Casey we need to talk for a minute"

Casey just answered with an affirming grunt

"Casey I've got some news, first tonight dinner at Casa Woodcomb"

Casey nodded, he always loved Ellie's cooking, not to mention that the older Bartowski was a good person, perhaps a bit talkative for his taste, but he had to respect her for what she had made of herself with her history.

"Secondly _Major_" Chuck said grinning "You are going with me to Rome"

Casey just looked at him eyes widening

"That's right John, I've convinced Beckman to reinstate you, albeit at the cost of a demotion, but you are done with the Buy More, we are going to be doing what we do best in Rome my friend."

If Casey was anyone else, he would have hugged Chuck, but instead he put out his hand, which Chuck quickly grasped smiling as Casey spoke "Thanks Chuck, I owe you one"

"Well funny that you mention it, because one of the other members is Morgan"

"Grimes" he grunted "why take the moron?"

"We need people we can trust Casey, especially with our secrets, him I can trust, but we need to train him as an analyst"

Casey just nodded, he was in no place to argue right now, the kid just got him his life back. Then he had another realisation, they needed a female agent, unless of course Bartowski wanted to go all Brokeback mountain on him.

"How about Walker?" Casey asked hesitantly, he knew his two partners weren't on the best of terms right now, and he knew she was with Shaw. Yet he would really have liked her to come with them, she was probably the best partner he has had, not to mention their results were great. And Casey loved getting great results.

"I talked to her Casey," Chuck started "but she apparently wants to leave with Shaw, because she can't handle being around a killer like me" Chuck smirked.

Casey just shook his head as Chuck walked away, how on earth can Walker even think that a softie like Chuck can kill someone. He was certain even Beckman was shocked he had done it, and now Walker is doubting the kid. Perhaps it would be a good thing to leave her behind.

After talking to Morgan, they just had to talk to Big Mike to tell him he would lose the three most important people in the store. This wouldn't be a good day for the Buy More, actually this wouldn't be a good day for the Buy More customers either. Now there was no one left to stop the onslaught of Jeff and Lester. It would almost be enough to have them reconsider their resignation, but they marched on to the big man's office. Oddly Big Mike didn't protest one bit, in fact he seemed proud, especially of Morgan who he was considering somewhat a son. Chuck just shrugged, thinking Big Mike must realise that the Buy More is not quite the dream job.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that day, Ellie was preparing their farewell dinner. It would be the last of the famous Bartowski dinners, atleast for some time, so they were all a bit in a strange mood. There was a sadness that an era was coming to an end. Though Ellie was glad her little brother was finally making something of himself. She still didn't understand how he could have worked at the buy more for such a long time. Though hearing that Morgan and John Casey were leaving aswell was somewhat of a surprise. She had to admit that she was happy her brothers friends were going with him. She knew her brother, and she knew she didn't want him to be alone, not after what had happened with Sarah anyway.

"Sis, I have to go out for a short while, but I'll be back in time for dinner" Chuck suddenly said from behind her.

"Sure Chuck, where are you going?" She had a hunch, but she wanted him to tell her.

"Nowhere in particular just out" he said avoiding eye contact with her.

"You know Chuck, I can tell when you are hiding something from me."

"Fine, I'm going to say goodbye to Sarah" he sighed "a proper goodbye, I need the closure"

"That's a good idea Chuck" Ellie said smiling at him "just be careful not to let her hurt you again okay?"

"I won't"

An hour later the door opened again, and a tall lanky form appeared in it. She hadn't expected her brother to be back this soon, and she could see in his eyes he had been crying. So she walked over to him and hugged him.

"You okay?" she whispered in his ear

"Yeah I'm fine, she wasn't there so I left her a letter" he answered her softly.

Ellie nodded, "Good, then you can set the table for dinner" A letter might not have been ideal, but atleast he took the time to tell her what he felt, and that's exactly what he needed, she thought to herself.

He smiled at her "You got it El"

They enjoyed a wonderful evening together, just talking about old times, and about their future. The Woodcombs in Africa, and TeamB in their cover lives in Washington. It somehow felt like the end of one life, and the beginning of the other.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

She pulled back from the kiss, looking at the man in front of her. Looking at the man, the world thought she was in love with, or atleast crazy about, and in truth she had fooled herself that whatever it was she had once felt for Chuck, was the same thing she was starting to feel for this man. She knew full well that it was a lie, this man wasn't Chuck, and she certainly had no romantic feelings for him, hell she had had more feelings for Bryce. Gosh she thought, another man I've lost. What bonded them was their shared loss, he had lost his wife, the love of his life, she had lost Chuck the love of hers. And after yesterday, she was quite sure that ship had sailed. She had burned her bridges, and she had to live with that. Yet somehow it didn't feel completely right what she was doing now. Sure she had done this with Shaw before, but somehow that conversation with Chuck had made an impact. Somehow it had spurred something back to live, she had to get herself out of this situation, at the very least for the time being.

"I'm sorry Daniel, dinner tonight was amazing, but I can't do this right now" she said apologetically. She had told him about what had happened with Chuck, both the impact his red test had on her, and their conversation. So now she hoped he would understand. This wasn't about them, this was about her having trouble handling things. Once again she berated herself for compromising herself like this, _Damnit Walker what have you done here the last years!_

Shaw's face fell a little, yet he knew it all had to be difficult for her with what had happened the last few months so he agreed "I understand Sam, I'll see you tomorrow" at least he had been able to enjoy a nice quiet dinner with her.

After Shaw left, Sarah sighed out of relief. She really didn't want to do this to him, but it was such a difficult situation she had gotten herself in, if only things would have been different with Chuck. _Damn it Bryce why did you have to die so Chuck went on to download the 2.0…_

She composed herself, and went into the bathroom. She needed a shower, so she stripped naked, and turned on the shower. She stepped under the hot streams of water, which masked the tears that were now streaming down her face. There was just so much confusion and pain in her head and heart, she couldn't bother to fight it anymore. She placed her head on the cold wall as she quietly sobbed, for what seemed like hours.

After she turned off the shower, she quickly put on some comfy pyjamas and made her way to her bed, she found a letter on her pillow, with only her name on it, her cover name that is. Oh the hell with it, it was her name it had been that since she met him. The writing was clearly his. _How long has this been here?_ She wondered to herself, she picked it up, opened it, and began to read.

_Dear Sarah,_

_I came by to say a proper goodbye earlier, but you weren't home. I suppose you were out with Shaw, so I decided to write you this letter. I'm sorry to do it like this, it's just, I'm leaving shortly, and I wanted to give you a proper goodbye, one without yelling and screaming, one without either of us saying things we would regret later. Since you weren't home a letter was my only other option._ _I suppose all in all perhaps it's for the best, afterall seeing you would just be a very painful experience for me. Knowing that you are with Shaw has been excruciating from the start, knowing you are now his and never will be mine is something I'm going to have to learn to live with, perhaps one day I'll be able to bury my feelings deep inside. Like a spy is supposed to do. In all honesty Sarah, just between us, I'm not sure I'll ever be a real spy in that regard, but I'll have to try, I know that now._

This was exactly what she was scared off, she didn't want him to bury his feelings, and she would be responsible for it. She didn't want him to change, yet she knew he was right, if he was to survive he was going to have to forget about her.

_I wanted to apologize to you Sarah. I know I wasn't completely fair to you when we last spoke. I know that it probably hurt you hearing me say those things, so I wanted to say I'm sorry, and I wanted to say that I'll be eternally grateful for what you have done for me. I can't be certain of your motives, and I'm going to be honest I still doubt them, I'm still not convinced you did it for me rather than the asset, but I still owe you. You kept me out of a bunker, you kept me alive, and you helped me find my father, and helped me save him. That is a lot to be grateful for. Perhaps that's part of why we didn't work, you did so much for me and my family, and all I did in return was try to bring you to talk about things you didn't want to talk about. Though seeing you tell Shaw things you never told me hurts more than I could have imagined. Maybe seeing you tell him things like your name is what caused me to snap at you earlier._

_There is something else I need to apologize for Sarah, I need to apologize for what happened in Prague. You see, I loved you then, and I love you now, but what you asked of me then was something that was just impossible for me to do. And it was something that couldn't have ended well for either of us. Sarah, I have to ask did you really expect Beckman to just let us go? To let my skills, and yours, just walk off into the sunset because of love? Did you really expect me to give up, while I know this thing could keep a lot of people safe, including you? It's that what lead me to download it in the first place. I couldn't let this important weapon get lost, when so much is at stake Sarah. But I'm so sorry to have hurt you like I did. Though I still think I did the right thing. But again Sarah I didn't stay because I don't love you, I stayed because I do. I just wish we would have discussed things in Prague, or would have tried to fix things between us after I got back, we never did try to keep that promise. I know it's too late now, but know I don't blame you. _

"I just wanted you to stay the same Chuck" she quietly whispered

_I know you think I've changed over the last year, but I want you to know a few things. I can't explain all of it, and I know you never really trusted me enough for me to rely on that you will believe me right now, but I wanted it out in the open. I wanted to talk about a few things that you perceived as my change, some things I've overheard you talk about, and a few things you mentioned to me. I promise you it's the truth, as is everything I write in this letter._

_First off there is the lying. I know you think I've gotten good at the whole lying thing, and honestly I probably have gotten a lot better than I'm comfortable with myself. But being good at the lying doesn't mean I'm liking it. I hate the lying, that hasn't changed. I hate that it's part of what has been forced upon me. Yes I know the 2.0 was a choice, but it wasn't much of one. Download it, or lose the war, the country, and the woman you love. Quite the Catch 22 if you ask me. The lying is part of why I don't mind leaving Burbank that much, no more lying to Ellie, no more lying to my friends. Devon chastised me for coldly lying to Ellie at one point, but Sarah it wasn't cold, I felt like I was dying on the inside. I still hate it, and I'm never going to like it, but you were right I need to protect them from the truth. That doesn't change that I'm not proud of a lot of the things I've done over the last few months. Lying to Hannah was another thing that I wish I could take back. The pain I must have inflicted her is something that's going to be on my conscience for the rest of my life I fear._

That's why I didn't want you to be a spy Chuck, you shouldn't be dying on the inside, she thought to herself, while tears were pricking in her eyes.

_Then there was the whole Rafe Gruber thing, I didn't have much choice there either. I could lie, I could pull out Casey's tooth, or we could lose the intel and Casey and me would die. Not much of a choice there either. I was disappointed to hear you berate me for it. I had hoped you would understand. I suppose I don't understand how you can berate me for something you, your boyfriend, and your ex-boyfriends have done yourselves. I suppose it's another reason we could never be together._

_Last thing I need you to know is, I'm not a killer Sarah. I can't explain it, and I won't ask you to trust me on this, because I already know you don't, but I am telling you that it's the truth. I just wished I could have gained your trust somewhere down the line Sarah. I just wished you'd have put some faith in me as a person. Of all the things that happened between us, I think that is the one thing that hurt me the most._

How can I trust you when my eyes saw you do something different then what you said Chuck? How can I then not conclude you have become everything I feared you would? Is there really more to it? And why can't you trust me enough to tell me the truth if there is? She wondered as tears were now slowly dropping down her face.

_Now there are a few things I need you to promise me Sarah. First things first, make sure you are happy. You deserve to be happy Sarah, I know you put yourself down about a lot, but you do. So promise me, promise yourself that you are going to work on being happy Sarah. Promise yourself happiness, with Shaw or another guy for that matter. But find it somewhere when you get to Washington._

I can't promise that Chuck, only you could make me happy. But you wanted to change. Without that love, all I can aim for is contentment, if I can reach that.

_Promise me that you give me a chance to be happy aswell. I know what your new job entrails, and I know that we might have to meet or have briefings, but please Sarah, let Shaw do them for my team if you can. I need to get over you, and seeing you every time we get a mission isn't going to help. I really need you to do this for me. Also something for yourself, stay clear of Ellie. I know she was your only friend, but she doesn't quite think the world of you right now. I suppose me breaking down in front of her didn't do her opinion of you much good. If only we could explain things to her, perhaps it would salvage your friendship._

"I promise Chuck" she quietly sobbed.

_Finally stay safe. Stay safe, and stay alive. The world needs you Sarah Walker, so it better damn well get you._

_I've got to finish this up I wouldn't want you to walk in on me writing this letter, I'm probably looking a bit like a mess right now, besides I still got to take care of some things, like pack my bags with both summer and winter wear._

_Goodbye Agent Walker,_

_Stay Safe,_

_Love,_

_Chuck_

"Goodbye Agent Bartowski" She quietly whispered much like earlier in Castle.

_PS. I'm taking Morgan and Casey to Rome, Casey's back to Major, Morgan is kind of like my Alfred(you know Batman, yes that makes it better). What can I say Beckman will go far to have the thing functioning properly. Finally the damned thing is working to my advantage._

After reading the letter, tears were still streaming down her face. She refolded the letter and placed it on her night stand, before putting her head on her pillow, her tears almost instantly soaking the pillow. That night, she cried herself to sleep, for the first time since her red test. As she dozed off, she knew Chuck was right, they needed to stay clear of each other.

**A/N: **_Ok so the chapter is a bit on the long side, a bit on the very long side even, it was even longer at one point, but I cut some stuff out, like the conversation with Big Mike. I contemplated on cutting it in two, or perhaps even in three, but I've decided against it. I don't know, in my mind I just wanted this as a whole, so there you go. Anyway, next chapter has Chuck arriving in Rome, Sarah will get insights in how much she has changed in the last three years, and the Awesomes will be making some important decisions. _

_Anyway reviews would be great, good or bad, just be honest._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**_ I want to thank everyone that has left a review after reading the first chapter. I really appreciated them, both the positive ones, and also the few negative ones. Some of you really flattered me with what you said, so thank you. Also it was great to see people give their opinion on Season 3, so thanks for that as well. Finally I want to thank everybody that took the time to read it. It really has all been greatly appreciated. _

_Now as for this Chapter, I have to admit it took a bit longer then I had expected to write it. Was slightly stuck in some places, and ended up deleting some stuff because I wasn't happy about it, but I think it turned out alright in the end. I just hope you all enjoy reading it. _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Chuck, nor do I own any of the Characters from the Chuck universe. _

**Chapter 2: New Beginnings.**

Chuck had a terrible nights sleep, he was constantly tossing and turning, thinking about what was in the past and what was in the future. Their were so many uncertainties in the future, so many questions, it was almost enough for him to forget about the last three years. Almost, because as much as he tried, he couldn't get a certain blond haired angel out of his mind. Getting over her would turn out to be a monumental task, a task he couldn't afford to postpone though. So he needed to find something to get his mind of her, something other then just lying in bed and thinking. To add insult to injury, even cheese balls weren't an option this time around.

He had contemplated for a while to go down to Castle, to see if he could get some work done. Not that he was sure what kind of work there was left for him to do here, but perhaps there were intelligence reports for him to look through. He quickly remembered though that Shaw had sent him a message the night before stating that they were in the process of cleaning out Castle. Apparently they would work through the night, trying to prevent people from looking weirdly at what came out of what was supposed to be a frozen yogurt shop. Of course there would have probably been quite a bit of security making sure that the cover of night was enough, after all no one that had been involved with the operation in Burbank wanted to risk anything falling in the wrong hands. Chuck felt somewhat relieved to hear Castle had been cleaned out, it felt final, it also meant there was no real turning back now.

Shaw wasn't the only one sending word to TeamB, Beckman had done the same. Shortly after the dinner they had shared the previous day, Chuck had received a call from Beckman with their flight data. Keeping up with their cover of a new job in Washington, the three members of TeamB would board a flight to Washington, there they would be met by some of Beckman's staff to be taken to a small private airfield. There they would board a small private jet for their flight to Rome. Of course the whole relocating to a smaller airport would seem a bit excessive, and Chuck had wondered about that, but the General deemed the operation to important to let there be any chance of sabotage. Naturally the small airfield would be easier to survey, and it would probably fit better with the whole rich playboy image Chuck was to have. The ride over there would give Beckman's aid a chance to relay some files to TeamB as well.

For now though, they were still in Burbank, where both Chuck and Morgan had a hard time leaving some things behind. There wasn't much they could take with them, the CIA villa was after all fully furnished to fit their cover, bringing things from Burbank might have put people off. The only things they allowed themselves to bring were some of the posters that hung around the apartment. Chuck was bringing his priced Tron poster, while Morgan would bring his favourite Sonny Chiba poster.

While deciding what to bring, Chuck had looked longingly at the pictures of him and Sarah. For years they had been important to him, and now he wasn't sure what to do with them. A year ago he wouldn't have dreamed of leaving without at the very least one of them, But now the pictures in his hand only caused him pain and confusion. It all had seemed so real at the time, it had felt so easy to be together even with the knowledge that it was just a cover, there was such happiness radiating from the people in the pictures. As Chuck started tracing his hands over the face of the woman in the picture Morgan walked in, and saw the state his friend was in.

"You okay buddy?" He asked him worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine, just thinking about those days you know. How it seemed like there really was something happening between us that was never there. How it was such an easy thing to be around each other. Something that has been in the past for a long time though. We really made things hard for each other these last few months." he said his voice filled with pain, sadness and regret.

As Morgan looked into his friends eyes, he could see the pain from an emotional wound, that was deep, deep from the recurring lacerations of all the pain that they had caused each other. Morgan knew it was probably not just Chuck that had been hurt by what had happened between them. He tried to give Chuck a supportive smile, nodding that he understood.

"You know what little buddy, I have to start leaving this past behind me." He said as he started to pack the pictures into an old box. He had decided that it probably wasn't a good idea to take any pictures with him. He really wanted to, but he just couldn't. He had asked Sarah to give him as much space as she possibly could give him, it would be wrong of him to then confront himself with it repeatedly.

Morgan was looking at his friend in surprise. Not just did he seem adamant in moving on from Sarah, something he had believed would take years, he also seemed at peace with it. He saw the pain in his friends eyes, and he could hear it clearly present in his voice, whenever he spoke about his past with Sarah, but his friend had changed. This wasn't the guy that had been down for years when Jill left him, this was a guy that seemed to be focused on making something of himself again. He did feel the need to make sure that his friend knew what he was doing.

"You know Chuck, it would be okay if you want to take a picture of her with you to Rome, no one is expecting you to be over her in a day you know."

"I know Morgan, I know, and in honesty I'm not over her, how could I be? But I need to be. Not because I need to date, because I don't, and quite frankly I don't even want to think about that, but Morgan these people we are up against, they are very dangerous. If I keep confronting myself with my feelings for Sarah, it could cost us more then we are bargaining for." He contemplated for a second how he was now trying to do, what he told Sarah he needed to do in the letter he wrote her. He was trying to bury his feelings for her in order to survive. Beckman would almost be content with this development he thought to himself. He realised he had to help Morgan understand why he had to try to get over her as fast as possible, or at least why he couldn't wallow in self pity like he really wanted to.

"Do you remember the day you found out about this spy stuff?" he asked his best friend.

"Sure I do Chuck, that was an awesome day." Morgan smiled at his friend, though he was unsure what he was going at.

"Well the reason I was at the Buy More, and not on a mission was that I couldn't flash. The reason for that was because of my emotions. To be more precise, it were mostly the emotions regarding what was happening with Sarah. The problem is Morgan, if I can't flash, I'm only good for target practice. You see buddy, emotions make the intersect unstable, because it was designed for real Agents, the ones that do not have emotions that mess with them. Emotions could make it trigger when I don't want it to, or it could make it malfunction completely." He sighed to himself as he sat down on his bed, while running his hand through his hair. He really didn't want to be in a position that meant he had to think about a malfunctioning intersect, but he was now responsible for his team's safety. If he wouldn't be able to bury his feelings, their death could be on his hands. Maybe I've made a mistake bringing Morgan into this mess he thought to himself. There would be no turning back when they would get to Rome, but he was scared to not have someone like Morgan with him as a touch stone, he was already being forced to do things, he really didn't want to do, like bury his feelings.

Morgan just eyed his friend for a while, he seemed really worried about this. And if Morgan was honest with himself, he was getting slightly worried with the way his friend was trying to handle things. Chuck had always been someone to talk, well about anything, and now he seemed to be trying to bottle things up, certainly when it would come to emotional stability that would not be a good idea. He sat down on the bed next to Chuck, trying to think of something to say, seeing if he could change his friends mind on this. He was still new to this world, he had a hard time thinking of a way to go about this, this could be a difficult case for Dr. Morgan, Buy More shrink extraordinary to crack.

Before he could say something though, Chuck stood up from the bed and started walking out of the room. He looked around to see Morgan still sitting there, looking at the wall pensively.

"Come on man, we still got to finish up" he said with a small smile.

Morgan nodded at him "I'll be with you in a sec" he would definitely try again later.

After they had made sure that they had brought everything they could and wanted, they sat down on the couch. It would be only a few minutes before Ellie and Devon would come by to take them to the airport. Ellie had asked someone to cover her shift at the hospital so she could see her brother off, despite his half hearted protests. Chuck was just hoping that Casey wouldn't try to bring his collection of fire arms, he was sure the new base of operations would be stocked with them anyway.

His thoughts wandered a little to the villa in Rome. He had only seen the picture in the file that Beckman had showed him. It looked absolutely beautiful, it was truly the kind of housing he had imagined for himself back at Stanford, and when he came up with the Carmichael persona. At one point it had really been his hope for the future. Now though, now his dreams were different. His dreams had gotten simpler over the last few years. In a way he had returned to the dreams he had from before his parents had left him, the dreams of having what they had those first years of his life. Of course he wouldn't mind having that much money, or such a big house, or the sports cars, or the private jet, but he has learned a lot about the beauty of a smaller normal life now. The dream of the white picket fence, the 2,5 kids, the dog, the simple mini van, it was now what he actually wanted more than anything. He realised that deep down he probably had always wanted that, but it was getting more and more apparent with each passing day. Three years of the spy world, had taught him the beauty of the quiet sub urban life. Of course the mission in the suburbs had helped with that.

It was because of this existing desire that they had decided to retain the apartment for now, even though they were unsure if they would ever return to Burbank. Chuck realised it was a small security risk with his family still living nearby, but with them leaving for Africa soon, he didn't feel it would be much trouble. He had thought about getting some NSA cleaners to put things in storage for them after Ellie and Devon left, but for now he was hoping to hold onto his roots. Maybe one day after they had stopped the Ring he could return here. He knew Beckman would be reluctant to let the intersect go, but who knows what would happen. If she didn't want to let him go when he wanted out, he could always ask his dad to remove the intersect again. Though he would probably not hear the end of it for downloading the 2.0. As much as he knew he had made the right choice all those months before, after all they needed the intersect to beat the ring, he sometimes regretted downloading it. His life would have looked very different if he hadn't. Of course the question remains how they would have gotten out, but still, if they had, things would have been completely different now. He was deep in his thoughts when Morgan interrupted.

"Can you believe we are leaving this place? That this is the end of the bachelor pad?" He said.

"I know man, it's a lot to take in. So many great memories in this place, the family dinners, the awesome gaming nights, the parties, the quiet evenings. I just hope we get to come back here one day." He said while looking around the room, clearly remembering some of the times he just spoke about.

"Of course we'll come back, why wouldn't we?" Morgan said, in a way like he thought Chuck seemed foolish to doubt it.

Ah well you know, we could get killed, we could get compromised, Beckman could just sent us elsewhere, plenty of things that could go wrong there Morgan, Chuck thought to himself. "I suppose you are right buddy" he shrugged.

They just sat there for a few minutes, both still thinking about the past that was in the room. Both realising they would soon be on their way to create new ones, but some things, Chuck decided, some things shouldn't change.

"Say Morgan, you know what we should find when we get to Rome?"

Morgan looked at Chuck questioningly.

"A new favourite Sizzling Shrimp place" Chuck said smiling.

"Absolutely!" Morgan exclaimed excitedly.

"You know buddy, it's going to be good, creating all these new memories, saving the world and all that."

Before Morgan could respond, there was a knock at the door. Chuck quickly got up and made his way towards the door of their apartment, and didn't waste any time to open the door. He was expecting it to be Ellie, but it was John Casey.

"You morons ready to go?" he questioned gruffly.

"Hey yourself Casey" Chuck answered rolling his eyes "and yeah we're ready, are you?"

"I'm a spy Bartowski, I'm always ready. Now go get your sister so we can get out of here."

"Yeah, yeah Casey, spies pack light, and are always ready to move, they don't put down roots, because they aren't suckers. I know the story John." Chuck smirked, "We'll be out in a second."

Casey grunted affirmatively , and turned around to leave, while Chuck turned to face Morgan.

"Okay little buddy, ready to go?" he asked his best friend.

Morgan smiled at him and nodded "Of course, let's do it"

They both grabbed their suitcases, and made their way out of the apartment, stopping at the door to give the place they had called home for what seemed like forever a last glance. They looked at each other after a few moments, before giving a small nod indicating that they were ready to go. As they went outside, Ellie was just leaving her apartment to come get them.

"Good, you're ready, let's go get you guys to the airport."

The ride to the airport was uneventful. Ellie had asked them a few questions about what they were going to do when they would get to Washington, and if they were looking forward to starting over. Luckily they had spent some time getting their covers straightened out the night before, so there weren't any complications, as they arrived at the airport.

They had just made their way into the terminal, when Ellie turned to face the three men that were leaving. Despite having someone cover a large part of her shift, she still had to get to the hospital in about an hour, so she had to say goodbye now. She still had mixed feelings about her brother leaving, she just couldn't help it. The first person she said goodbye to was John Casey, she had grown a liking to the silent somewhat distant man, despite his public indecency problem. She was just glad John was going with her brother, she had more faith in him taking care of him than she had in Morgan.

She went up to Casey and whispered "Look after him" in his ear as she embraced him.

Casey grunted affirmatively, from most people he wouldn't accept a hug, Ellie was the only apparent exception to the no touching John Casey policy.

After a few moments Ellie released him, and moved to Morgan. Morgan had always been a bit of a surrogate little brother to her. Of course a very creepy one, especially in the past when she had thought of him in nearly the same way as she now thinks of Jeff and Lester, but now she was almost sad to see him go. Still she also felt kind of proud.

"I'm proud to see you do something like this" she said while wrapping her arms around him, "I might just end up missing you"

"You might?" Morgan asked with a smirk.

"Don't push your luck Morgan"

"I'm going to miss you to El" he said with sincerity in his voice.

Finally she turned to her brother. As she was now standing in front of him, knowing he was leaving to try to finally make something out of himself, she felt some pride. Not only that, he seemed more mature then when Jill broke up with him. When Morgan had called her a couple of days earlier she was so scared her brother would turn into the Cheese ball eating zombie he had been a few months earlier, but instead he had pushed himself onwards. The only thing that nagged at her, was the promise she had once made to her father. It would be hard to take care of him now he was leaving.

"Aces Charles, you're Aces" she said smiling, with tears glistening in her eyes as she gave her brother a bone rambling hug She really was going to miss him, probably even more than she was willing to admit to herself.

"Only thanks to you sis" he said, while holding her, just hoping that one day he would see her again. He didn't want her to wonder about what happened to her brother all her life, if something happened to him, she would probable never learn what had happened.

"I'm going to miss you sis" he said with his voice slightly cracking, "I love you"

"I love you to little brother"

As the three men turned, and walked away, Ellie walked towards the exit as she quickly wiped away the stray tear that was making it's way down her cheek.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah hadn't slept much better than Chuck. Though of course she had no way of knowing that. After crying herself to sleep, she had one of the nightmares that come with the territory of being a spy. In fact it was the one nightmare that had troubled her the most over the last five years, it was the dream that saw her relive her red test. For a while, she hadn't been troubled by it as much, and sleeping in the same bed with Chuck on their cover sleepovers had always been much help, but since the night at the train tracks they had come back to haunt her, like it had happened the day before. Only now sometimes she wasn't shooting the mark, she was shooting Chuck, who would just look at her with hollow eyes as he collapsed to the ground.

After waking up bathing in sweat, she hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Her mind had been racing at record speed, as she was worried about Chuck. Thoughts of all the things that could go wrong, had been racing through her head. It wasn't something she was proud of, in fact she chastised herself for it. Chuck was a spy now, she shouldn't allow herself to be worried about him, it wasn't her job to protect him anymore she told herself. Of course that didn't give her much joy either, as she had wanted him to need her, as much as she needed him. Well as much as she needed the pure Chuck from all those years earlier, he hadn't been that Chuck since he left her alone on that train station in Prague. Everything she feared would happen did happen. She sighed to herself, I can't belief I'm still so troubled by this.

She tried to get her mind of Chuck by thinking about Shaw. There was however also some reason for concern there. For starters she had rejected him the night before, kissing him had felt the same again, as it had done before Chuck had run off with Hannah. "I hate brunettes" she muttered as she remembered the former nerd herder. She just hoped that Shaw would understand why she had said no to him, and that was still a point of concern for her. Yes of course he had seemed understanding, but more men had been capable of seeming understanding of her situation, while they weren't. Her father being one of them, another being Langston Graham. She had really made a mistake going into business with that man. No amount of saying greater good, could ever make her feel better for what she had done as his enforcer. She cursed Chuck Bartowski for waking up a side of her that was now driving her crazy. It was because of him that she now needed someone like Shaw in her life. The part of her that needed love and affection needed someone, the only option around her had seemed to have been Shaw, especially after Chuck had run into the arms of the first brunette that had seemed interested.

She sighed as she got out of bed when her alarm went off. She really had no idea why she had set it, there wasn't really anything for her to do. Her plane would leave in the evening, still hours away, Castle was being cleaned out, or perhaps it was already done, she had already packed the little belongings she had, so there really wasn't much left to do.

Since coming to Burbank she had usually spent the days she didn't have to be in Castle or at the Orange Orange with Chuck, or with Ellie, but now both of them seemed out of the question. Chuck was leaving that morning, and even if he hadn't, coming by would have been a bad idea, and Ellie apparently didn't want to see her. She sighed again, thinking about having lost more then she had thought she ever could lose. She needed something to clear her mind, so she did what she always did when she needed to clear her mind. She put on her work out clothes, ignoring the fact that she had to put them in her bags later, and stepped up to the punching bag that was still hanging in her room. She carefully positioned herself in front of it and started punching, thump…. Thump…. Thump…

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was looking out of the window, as the plane was touching down in DC. To Morgan's dismay they had been seated in coach. Casey and Chuck had some experience with flying on government dime, but Morgan was expecting something lavish. Which of course had led to Casey reminding him that, tax payers money wasn't going to be wasted on flying a major and two morons two DC. They were just going to have to make do, which hadn't been to hard, as the flight had been rather uneventful. The only thing that interrupted the monotony, was the flight attendant almost dropping a drink into Casey's lap, earning herself a deadly glare from the NSA Agent. She had muttered something about it being her first day, and had made a speedy retreat.

For Chuck most of the flight had been spent staring out of the window. Somehow the clouds had seemed more interesting then what was happening around him. Which wasn't very spyish of him, he knew that, but he somehow didn't bother being on his toes. He had given the plane a quick look around upon entering it, and didn't flash on any of the other passengers, so he had figured he was safe. For the time being at least, he didn't seem to have been wrong. As he was staring out of the window a lot of the things that he had worried about during the night were still playing with his mind. Those concerns had caused him to sigh deeply a few times during the flight, which earned him some worried glances from Morgan. But now as he had landed in Washington, he was growing more excited about the mission. It would be good making a difference again.

After exiting the plane, they quietly made their way towards the baggage reclaim area. The team that was planned to pick them up to take them to a small private airport wouldn't be there to pick them up for another hour, so there was plenty of time for them to get something to eat. It had been hours since they had breakfast after all.

"Well still plenty of time before Beckman's people show up. I'm thinking that, perhaps we should go grab something to eat now we got the chance." Chuck said while looking at his watch.

"That's a good idea Chuck, I'm quite famished." Morgan said, while Casey just nodded.

They found their way to a small sandwich shop, and ordered a few simple sandwiches. They didn't taste all that special, definitely not in comparison to Lou's Deli. The only reason they didn't complain was that they hadn't eaten for hours. As they were eating, Casey was quietly looking around, clearly looking out for trouble, while Morgan had taken out his book on Italian life, with a slight focus on Rome.

"You know Morgan, I still don't understand what you are doing with those Canadian flags on your suitcase." Chuck said, smiling at how his friend almost looked confused at why he was asking him.

"Come on Chuck, everybody knows that if you want to be treated well as an American tourist you should pretend you're Canadian."

"Moron" Casey muttered under his breath, while Chuck chuckled at his friend.

"You do realise Morgan that the only part of public travelling we are doing, has been flying from LA to DC right? I mean it's all, umm.. private transportation from here on out."

"I know man, but I just wanted the whole experience of going to Rome like I once imagined doing it. Besides, we have never been that far from home together." Morgan said with a smile.

Chuck just smiled at his friend. This was typical Morgan, trying to get things from a certain situation that aren't there with an almost child like attitude. He really did view the man across from him as his brother. Of course, that kind of thinking only increased his concerns for Morgan's safety. He berated himself for being so selfish to ask Morgan along, even though the bearded man had clearly made his own choice. Perhaps he should try to handle him a little like an asset.

"Morgan I need to ask you a favour." He began, a serious tone in his voice matching his expression.

"Okay, what is it?" Morgan replied, confusion apparent in his voice.

"I need you to listen to Casey or me when we get to Rome okay? Please no heroics" there was a clear hint of worry and even a little desperation in his voice. The more he kept thinking about possible consequences of bringing Morgan with them, the more he started to realise his responsibility if something did go wrong.

"So even when you are being held, and are in a totally hopeless situation?" Morgan asked with a surprised impression on his face.

"Especially then"

"Fine" Morgan said dejectedly, he had hoped that his friend would trust him with a little action, though he could understand where he was coming from. Just a little though.

"Look Morgan, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Maybe after we train you, then we can consider letting you do more"

The possibility of a more active role in the future clearly pleased his friend, as a smile started to creep on his face. "Okay Chuck, I'll listen to you and Casey"

"Great buddy, thanks" Chuck said, now with a smile on his own.

Casey couldn't help but look at the interaction between the two friends with a certain feeling of irony. Bartowski asking someone to stay in the car, Walker should have been to see this one, he said to himself. She would have definitely made a point of what he had put her through every time he had left the car. The kid never did fully grasp the distress and pain he had caused her with those actions. For now though, he was glad of what he had asked the Moron, it was bad enough for Casey that he had to break in a new partner, even without Grimes being around. But with Grimes around, he cringed at the thought.

After they finished their food, they decided to go over to the place they would meet Beckman's people. They had about five minutes left to spare when they arrived, so they were surprised to see the two agents already waiting. They had expected Beckman's people to be the kind of guys that would work perfectly on schedule, so to see them early was unexpected.

Of course, the sensitivity of the operation, with Chuck being the intersect had made arrangement a little different. There was of course a good chance that Chuck would flash on the agents whoever they were, unless they had been recruited very recently, something Chuck seriously doubted, yet Beckman had arranged things in a way that made it seem like he was just an ordinary agent, all to protect the identity of the intersect. Because of that they had agreed to some peculiar details about the agents clothing style, which were discussed with General Beckman when she had called. The men would wear a typical G-man suit, but their accessories would be a bit different. For starters they wouldn't wear the typical black sunglasses, instead they would be wearing grey ones, also they would be wearing converse Chuck's similar to those that Chuck always wears. Final precaution would be a code phrase. Chuck made his way to sit down next to one of the Agents.

"Good to see Aunt Diane still takes care of her loved ones" Chuck said while keeping his eyes focused at nothing particular straight in front of him.

He could see that the Agent was eyeing him for a minute. There was even some hint of surprise on his face as he sized up the nerd. The man clearly couldn't believe that they had to go to all this trouble for a man that didn't look like an agent in the slightest. If Chuck was honest with himself, he had to agree with that assessment. If it wasn't for the intersect, this had been totally ridiculous for some straightforward travelling, but Beckman had insisted.

After what Chuck felt like had been hours, the man finally spoke. "You know, you always were her favourite"

"Well that is only because your parents never wanted to visit" Chuck finalised the round of ridiculous code phrases, but they had blended in with the rest of the people around them, so it worked.

"Pleasantries can follow later, for now let's get out of here" the man said, looking around him as if he was expecting trouble while standing up.

As they were making their way to the exit, Chuck signalled Casey and Morgan that everything was fine and they should follow him. They followed him a few feet from them, just in case something went wrong. As they exited the terminal, a black SUV was already waiting for them, another man in a G-man suit sitting behind the steering wheel, clearly an annoyed look on his face. Clearly he was not to happy about being here.

He eyed the passengers, as he gruffly said "Get in."

Chuck turned to Casey and grinned "You know Casey, he reminds me of you."

"Watch it moron" Casey grunted.

As they entered the vehicle the agent that had been waiting for them turned around in his seat to face them. He had a much friendlier demeanour now that he was in the relative safety and comfort of the black SUV.

"I'm agent Miller" he began as the SUV was pulling up to a traffic light, "and this little peach is agent Evans" he continued holding out his hand to Chuck.

"Agent Carmichael" Chuck said shaking the man that the agent had offered "and these two men are Major Casey, and our analyst Mr Grimes." Casey just grunted upon hearing his name, while Morgan gave him a smile and nod.

"I have to admit Agent Carmichael, I was kind of surprised when I found out you were the infamous Carmichael." The agent said smiling at Chuck.

"And why is that?" Chuck asked the man, of course he knew why that was the case, he just didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Well you know, with your reputation being as it is, I just expected someone a little more…"

"A bit less nerdy and a bit more like some kind of James Bond?" Chuck ended the sentence for him. It still surprised him when someone in the intelligence community had heard of him, regardless of what he had done. He still remembered when the Fulcrum agent that had been after his father for years claimed he had heard of him, that had been a some what bitter sweet moment.

Miller looked at him apologetically.

"It's okay Agent Miller, you aren't the only one" Chuck assured him, throwing a quick glance to Casey. Immediately Agent Miller's face cleared up a little.

"Anyway, the General asked me to hand this to you." He said pulling out a briefcase. "It contains all the information you need for your assignment. You know the usual, intelligence reports, information on the base like access codes, your cover stories, and the files you have requested." He continued after Chuck's questioning look. "Oh almost forgot" he said reaching into his pocket, taking out a piece of paper with a three digit code on it "the code for the suitcase" he added.

Chuck nodded, "Thanks" Beckman must really trust these guys if she let's them run around with this kind of information, he thought to himself.

The rest of the ride was a quiet affair. Morgan had tried to ask a few questions, but the answer had always been the same. That's classified. After a few attempts he had stopped trying to find anything about the men in the front seats. Yet it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, there was a certain kinship between the men in the car.

They drove right onto the tarmac up to the Learjet that was waiting for them, courtesy of the United States government. As they exited the car, Chuck could see Morgan's face light up like a Christmas tree. He almost seemed like a child in a candy story.

"Wow, this is so cool" he muttered.

"It is buddy." Chuck said, slapping his friend on the shoulder, while Casey gave a slightly annoyed grunt.

The two agents turned to them to say their goodbyes, and to wish them all the best for their mission. The three men thanked them for their ride over. They quickly turned and made their way onto the jet that was waiting for them. As he boarded the airplane, Chuck felt some slight hint of relief, he could finally start going through the files Beckman had left for him.

X-X-X-X-X

So far it had been a long day for Sarah. The work out had helped slightly to keep her mind of things, and channel her feelings. Normally when she would punch the bag, every punch meant losing herself in the routine of things, every punch meant a second less of thinking about things, now every punch had been like a reminder of those feelings. Still she had felt a little better after she had finished. It had always made her feel better to feel exhausted, it was as if she could focus on being worn out physically, rather then how she felt emotionally. After taking a long shower, she was still confused, and bored.

After staring out of the window for what seemed like hours, though in reality only a few minutes had past, she had to get out of her room. A room she wouldn't particularly miss after leaving this place. Yes Burbank had been the first place to call home since going on the grift with her father, but that had nothing to do with the hotel room. In fact, the only thing that made the hotel room feel some what like home, had been the pictures that had been put around the room. Pictures of her and Chuck, of her and Ellie, and even of her and Morgan or Casey. She really had gotten a taste of a normal quiet life, and she had wanted that. She had even considered leaving the company for it, if only the idiot hadn't tried to be the hero.

She had wandered mindlessly over the streets of Burbank, as she encountered spot after spot containing memories. A small ice cream shop where Chuck had dragged her to on some of their not so fake, fake dates. He had insisted on going there, after his bumbling had caused them both to fall to the ground. He had remembered the story her father had told him, how she always felt better after some messed up con, when he had gotten her some rocky road. He had decided that, since he had effectively done the same thing, he needed to make amends. She had reluctantly agreed to let him buy her some ice cream, but it had turned out to be a fun, and interesting experience. He had shared stories about how his mother had always bought him ice cream after his little league games, and how his father had once given him ice cream after telling him he was special. There had been a certain seriousness about Chuck when he had talked about it, at one point it had even brought a few tears to his eyes, his parents disappearance still clearly affecting him. She had taken his hand, and given it a tight squeeze, she had wanted to do more to comfort him, but at least in that way she could show that she understood his pain. Despite the painful nature of the whole situation, it had been clear that it were happy memories, ones she had been honoured to have learned. After all trust was still a foreign concept to her.

She wandered on, as she came across a small shop where Chuck and Morgan had camped outside of for days, when there was some kind of release. She couldn't even remember anymore what was released, she could remember that she had been forced to go with them for Chuck's protection. Of course Morgan had no idea why she was there, and although he seemed happy for his friend, he had been terribly annoyed by it.

As much as she had hated the idea at first to go there, she had laughed at the banter between the two friends, though she had been on the receiving end of a few deadly glares thrown by Morgan, and by the staring eyes of quite a few nerds. After a few hours she had had enough of the staring, she was used by men staring at her, but she wanted to make clear she was there for someone special. So she had decided to do something about it, she had sashayed towards Chuck with a seductive look in her eyes, and had kissed him passionately. At first Chuck had seemed in shock, but it didn't take him long to respond. It had been a long and very passionate kiss, only breaking when they both needed to come up for air. It had not been a rushed one like at the docks, or a desperate one like in front of Roan, but one that was filled with love, and some form of possessive nature, trying to lay claim on the other. As they broke the kiss they were met by the staring eyes of all the nerds around them, it had made Chuck some kind of hero apparently. He had just looked down at her with his beaming smile, the one he reserved for her, and wrapped one arm around her waist, clearly not wanting to let go off that moment, and neither did she. She had always felt safe in his arms, like it was were she was supposed to be, and in that moment it wasn't different. Of course Chuck had made some trouble about it later, when she had started the old, I'm your handler you're my asset, and my job is to protect you routine, but she had never regretted that kiss, she still didn't.

She crossed into a mall where she had spent countless hours shopping with Ellie. She really had a lot of fun with the brown haired woman, a lot more then she was willing to admit to herself. She had become somewhat dependant on the older woman, and the talks they had. Ellie had become more then just the assets sister, she had become a friend, a true friend, her only friend other then Chuck. She would almost say she had become something like a sister. It was because of this that she had begun to relate to Chuck's difficulty to lie to her. It was because of this, that she herself sometimes started to feel the effects of lying to the person that had trusted her, and made her part of her family. That had clearly thought there was a future for her and her brother when she had made her a bridesmaid. She really was going to miss Ellie.

And so she had walked through what had seemed like memory lane for her. Some memories had brought back tears to her eyes, others had brought a smile to her face, but after each one there was a sense of loss. A sense that she had lost the only home she had known since she was a small child, that she had lost the only family she had since her mother left her and her father when she was nine. Every time she had felt that, she had cursed Chuck Bartowski for making her feel like this, for making her feel vulnerable. Twenty years of protecting her heart and soul from pain, and one idiotic nerd, and she was screwed. She sighed, at least she was going to leave soon, hopefully that would mean a lot less confrontation with the memory of him.

Finally she ended up on the beach. She hadn't planned to end there, not that she really had planned any of the places she had walked past, but yet there she was. It had always been an important spot for her and Chuck, a place where they had first forged an agreement, a relationship even. Not based on romantic feelings, or on friendship, but simply based on the trust they needed to share to survive. A trust he had shattered all those months before in Prague. Prague, something that was still one of the most painful memories in her life, perhaps even the most painful. Just thinking about that day, just thinking about basically anything that had happened that month, and anything that had happened between her and Chuck since then was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Tears that were enough to make her berate herself again for turning so damned soft. She really had changed a lot since she had arrived in Burbank.

She had sat down, watching at the sea. Somehow the rolling waves had a soothing effect on her. There was something about them that brought peace to her mind, reassuring her that in the end everything would work out. That somehow, in the end, it would all come together. After a while, she inadvertently glanced at her watch, what she saw shocked her.

"Crap, crap, crap!" she muttered as she quickly rose to her feet. She had agreed to meet up with Shaw in half an hour, and she still had to get back to her hotel. She really had lost track of time.

She rushed off the beach, cursing herself for wearing heels instead of flats while trying to make herself a way through the sand. She finally got off the beach, and got to the road. She didn't have time to walk all the way back to her hotel, she needed a cab. She managed to get one to stop, and she told him where to go. Fifteen minutes later she was back at her hotel, she let out a sigh of relief as she entered her room. She had made it in time, she would have had no idea how she would have explained this to Daniël, not after the night before.

She sat down on the bed, for a final time. She took the time to look around her room for a last time. In honesty she didn't really care about the room, it had always been just another hotel room for her. The pictures that had been there, but were now stored in her suitcase, the memories that were there, like the time Chuck had brought her Chocolate Croissants after her father betrayed her, or the time he had declined learning more about her past after her high school reunion, that were the things that had made this a different room for her, but the room in itself was something she had grown tired of quite a long time ago. She always had needed constant changes to keep her mind from growing restless, that's what made this assignment such a burden, nothing had been like she had experienced it before. Of course having someone put a gun to your head in your own room hadn't been helpful in appreciating the room. She sighed, as much as she was looking forward to a change, she was going to miss being here.

She heard a firm knock on her door, forcing her to break her gaze off the wall in front of her, and to quietly make her way to the door. Despite the fact that it could pretty much only be one person, the one person she was expecting, not hoping, to see, she still looked through the peep hole in the door. And she was right it was Shaw, so she moved to open the door for him.

"Hey" she said quickly.

"Hey Sam" he replied before giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"Ready to go?" he asked giving her a small smile.

"Yeah" she said returning his smile "just let me grab my suitcase and we can go."

"Okay great." He said, turning to already make his way downstairs.

Sarah looked on with a frown as she saw him leave, she had expected him to wait for her before he went downstairs. He certainly hadn't proven to be the most chivalrous of men, no matter how well he had known his way around a menu. She knew his menu knowledge probably had more to do with being able to perform power moves on a mark, then with genuine interests. In fact, except for an apparent interest in the Kama Sutra, she didn't know much about his interests other then his work. He was so obsessed with his crusade against the Ring he didn't allow time for much else. She had had more fun when she was dating Bryce, at least he was in for a joke or two.

She quietly turned back into her room to grab her suitcase. A part of her was reluctant to leave, even if there was nothing left for her in Burbank, all bridges had been burned, no reason was left to stay here. Besides she had her orders, but part of her didn't want to leave. Perhaps by leaving she could shed off that part again, it was the part she would love to shed off again. Again she cursed Chuck Bartowski for stirring that part of her back to live. When things went as they had gone the last year, it would be better to lose that part of her again. She grabbed her suitcase, and made her way out of her room, and closed to door behind her.

As she was walking down the hallway making her way to the elevator she squared herself. She hadn't even noticed how her shoulders had slumped when she was going for her suitcase. Perhaps it had been a good thing that Shaw had gone downstairs before she could leave her room, she didn't want him to see her more vulnerable then he had already. It was bad enough that he had heard her real name, she still couldn't believe she had tried to form a connection with him, by telling him the name she hadn't had since she had left her mother when she was a child.

She found him standing in the lobby. He had been standing leaning against a pillar in the lobby facing the elevator. He hardly gave her a response when she had gotten out of it. He had just given her a short nod, before turning again to make himself a way to his rental car. It was almost like he was avoiding her now, like he was upset about the fact that she had denied him certain pleasures the night before. She would have started to wonder had it not been the same thing he had done before when he had pretended to be in a hurry, if it had been any different from other days that they had needed to travel together. She shrugged her shoulders, if she had done something to upset him, then that would be his problem. She had spent the last three years trying to pay attention to someone's feeling she was done with it.

She started pacing through the lobby towards the exit, when she suddenly stopped. She had almost forgotten she was leaving she had to say goodbye to a few people. Of course, as was typical with these kind of assignments the last formalities would be taken care of by some cleaner crew, but she had somewhat grown accustomed to having these people around, so she had felt like she had to say something. She kissed a few people on the cheeks saying quick goodbyes, before finally moving outside, where she saw a Renault rental car waiting for her in front of the doors.

She moved to open the doors, immediately noticing an annoyed look on her partners face. She sighed to herself, if he had wanted me to be faster, he could have just stayed there with me and made certain it would have gone more to his liking.

"Took long enough." He said, with an annoyed sigh.

"Yeah, well I had some people to talk to." She said with an annoyed voice.

"Sam, you know we are supposed to…" he started but she interrupted.

"Get up and leave without notice, I know that Daniël. But this hardly qualifies as a life or death situation now does it?" She deadpanned.

He mumbled something she couldn't hear, but she was glad this conversation was over. She had not been in a good mood all day, she was not about to take his constant whining about nothing. That's what is part of dating a spy, she reminded herself, they tend to be on edge.

X-X-X-X-X

Ellie was glad her shift was over. Generally she enjoyed working at the hospital more than anything else in the world, it had given her a sense of a calling in the hardest periods in her life, but today she had a hard time keeping her mind focused on her job. Her mind was constantly racing, it was filled with thoughts about Africa, about her brother's new job, about her brother's mental state after what had happened a few days earlier, about her not being able to keep her promise to her dad anymore now he had moved away from Burbank. Of course being a doctor there was plenty to occupy herself with, but somehow she couldn't help but shake the thoughts she was having. Naturally the constantly annoying families hadn't helped much with settling down her mind. Under normal circumstances she had no problem with families that were repeating questions over and over out of worry, but now she had her own concerns it ticked her off ever so slightly.

She had been glad when her husband had showed up to keep her from going insane. She didn't know how he had done it, but he had somehow felt that she needed him to drop by. Of course it could have been mere coincidence, but she preferred to think that they were in tune with each other. It was exactly the kind of thing she had wished for her brother to have, twice she had hoped he had found it, twice she had came out deceived. She sighed, she should stop worrying about her brother, he had taken a more mature road this time after all. Besides, if she would ever hear either of them say "It's complicated" again she would scream. She had grown tired of that word, she really had.

Sadly for her, when she asked Devon why he wanted to go to Africa so badly, he had answered with that very word, more precisely he had said "You know Babe, it's complicated." Not quite the thing to say to get her confidence up. And the more she was thinking about Africa, the more reluctant she was becoming of going there. She was a city girl, she hadn't been made to sleep out under the open sky, or fight with rattle snakes, or do things like climbing trees, that were things that were typical of her husband. She was more of a woman that was about, taking long baths, going to a spar, romantic candle lit dinners much like they had done shortly after her engagement, or going shopping with her friends, or going on family outings. As much good as she might be able to do down in Africa, she really wasn't sure if she couldn't do the same amount of good in Burbank. She would have to talk to her husband when she got home.

When she finally arrived back at her apartment, she was just hoping that she didn't have to make dinner. She knew what her husband was like, and as awesome as he was, he sometimes could be a little pig headed, but when she opened the door she was met with a surprise. The whole apartment had been filled with Candles, her favourite flowers were present in several places, and there was the distinct smell of pecan pie in the air. She had to fight back the squeal, and the tears.

"Hey babe" Devon said, with a huge smile on his face.

"What do you think? Awesome right?" He said enthusiastically.

"Oh Devon, this was exactly what I needed, this is amazing" she replied her voice slightly cracking. As she walked up to him to give him a kiss. He really had surprised her with this one.

After an amazingly passionate kiss he set her down at the table, and seated himself across from her. He unveiled their dinner, which was an amazing steak dinner. After a while though she really needed to talk to him about something, even though she was scared off ruining their evening, she just had to.

"Honey, I hate to do this on such a wonderful evening, and you really have done an awesome job with this, but I have to talk to you about something." She started hesitantly.

"Babe, don't worry about it, you know you can talk to me about anything" he replied with a genuine smile.

"I know, I know, it's just that I'm not sure if I want to go to Africa, I'm just not sure if I'm cut out for the whole jungle experience." She continued with a worried voice.

"Look Babe, if you really don't want to go, then we won't. Just think about it okay?"

"Thing is Devon, I have been thinking about it, and the more I think about it, the less I want to go." She said with a sigh, she really didn't want to disappoint him like this.

He took her hand, and quietly rubbed the back of it for a second, he realised that with Chuck gone he really didn't have to go to Africa, all the spy stuff was gone now anyway. Finally smiling up to her he said "Okay".

"Really?" She asked surprised, tears of love and happiness were now in her eyes.

He just nodded at her.

She just stood up, and hugged him, before taking his hand to lead him to the bedroom. After a night like this, her husband had earned something more then just a hug or a kiss, she thought to herself with an impish smile.

X-X-X-X-X

She had finally arrived back in Washington. The flight had been uneventful by any standard, her and Shaw had made some small chit chat about basically nothing, before she had dozed off a little. She was just glad that she didn't have any nightmares while on the plane, she really didn't want him, or any of the other passengers seeing that. Now she was on her way to her apartment for the first time in a long time. Of course she had been in Washington a few weeks before, but then she had spent the night in Shaw's loft, now though she just wanted to get to her own bed, even though she hadn't slept in it for three years. Shaw had asked her to come over to his loft again, but she had cited she was exhausted, and in honesty she was, it really hadn't been a few great days. She just wanted to shower, and get to bed.

As she arrived at her apartment, she hardly recognized anything anymore. She was glad though that she had hired someone to clean it up for her from time to time. Of course no one had been around to make a mess of it, but she wasn't a big fan of dust, so this was perfect.

She was looking around her apartment, trying to get reacquainted with it, since she was probably going to stay her for a while. Beckman didn't seem to have this in mind as a temporary assignment, so she needed this to be a bit like a home. Not that she had ever tried that with this place, but she wanted to feel like she was home again. Something she had noticed about the place, was the impersonal nature of it. She had almost forgotten that for all those years she had lived without friends, and without family. There wasn't a single picture around, the three year old calendar was empty, and everything was coloured in neutral white. This really hadn't been much of a home to her. She sighed, Burbank really had been the only place that had felt like home.

She stripped naked to take a quick shower, and quickly stepped under the warm streams of water. She felt her body relax from the tension she hadn't been that aware of all day, which her explained her fatigue. She was surprised that she had let this whole situation get under her skin like this. She was almost disappointed with herself.

After ten minutes she exited the shower, and put on some cotton boxers and a simple tank top, and made her way to the bed. It was perfectly made, much to her delight. If it hadn't been she would have slept without any sheets. She lied down in the bed, and put her head on the pillow. The last thoughts before she went to sleep were, I just hope I don't have any nightmares.

X-X-X-X-X

They had finally arrived in Rome. It had been a long flight, and as would have been expected from a flight that was sanctioned and screened by Beckman completely uneventful except for a bit of turbulence. Now as they were walking around the small airfield they landed on, Chuck couldn't help but feel grateful towards Casey. The older man had insisted they'd sleep at the start of the flight, reminding Chuck of the nine hour time difference between Rome and LA, now it had really been a lot of help. He didn't want to consider how tired he would have been had Casey not forced him to get some sleep, even if it had been with a sleeping pill. So he had slept through the first half of the flight. The second half he had spent studying the files that Beckman had given him. He had especially spent a lot of time studying his cover, despite the similarities with his Carmichael persona. He realised he might need to be on his toes right away. So he had ordered Morgan and Casey to do the same, though Casey had just grunted that he already knew that he was to do that, after all he was not a moron.

He turned to his friends.

"Okay guys, welcome to Italy I suppose." He started smiling, "Now let's see if we can find a ride to our new place."

Morgan and Casey just nodded, as they started making their way to the exit.

**A/N: **_You know it's funny, I had thought things out before I started writing this story, and I had an idea where I would be at the end of the second chapter, I'm not nearly as far in the story as I had expected. But you know, a story kind of writes itself, so it's all good. Don't worry, it won't affect how I will end this story, I will write all that I think that needs to happen. _

_Anyway next chapter, TeamB looks for a new team member, Chuck and Morgan discover Rome, and Beckman makes a reappearance. Also there might just be a bit more Casey in the next chapter. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Replacement**

They had quickly found their way out of the small airfield they had landed at. As they made their way outside, it didn't take long to find their means of transport. The files they had, had suggested that there would be someone waiting to pick them up, considering there was only one car out front outside of the regulated parking spots, that came with most public buildings it wasn't hard to make out where they had to go. The car was a black HMVEE, much like the one they had stolen at the Alahi diamond mission, Chuck just hoped this assignment would go a lot smoother then that one had gone.

Leaning on the car was a large man, he reminded him a little of Cole Barker, though this man was a bit taller. The man was wearing your typical drivers costume. According to the files this was the last of the men from the last team that had been based at the Villa, apparently their last mission hadn't gone too well, and they had lost one member of their team, and had another one injured. Chuck sighed, that was not what he had wanted to know.

As they approached the car, the man was quietly scanning the surroundings. It struck Chuck how calm and relaxed the man seemed, even after everything had gone wrong. Thankfully for the CIA and the agent in front of him, according to his file named agent Turner, they had not been compromised when things had gone wrong, as they had gone sour on a nightly break in to retrieve some stolen flash drive containing some very sensitive information. Somehow they had triggered some silent alarm, and the guards had come in guns blazing. Before any of the men had known what had hit them, one had been killed and the other had been shot in the leg. Only due to timely intervention from a back up team, had they been able to escape with the flash drive, and with only one man killed.

He couldn't help but wonder how it would have been like if he had seen one of his friends get killed right in front of him, while another had been wounded. A spy was supposed to react like the man he was walking towards, but somehow he doubted that he could do that, he doubted if he could ever get such control over his emotions. If that were to happen to his team, he would probably break down one way or the other. If it would happen to his team, he wouldn't know how to handle himself. He berated himself for thinking that way, thoughts like that were exactly the kind of thing that could get them killed. Sarah had always felt out such moments, she had always felt when he was starting to go down such a train of thought, and had always reassured him, now he really had to turn to himself, like a real spy.

They finally reached the car, and for the first time Chuck could get a real good look at the man's face. As he made eye contact he could see that the man was more affected by what happened then Chuck had thought a few moments earlier. He could see distress in his eyes, and he could see some hollowness there. It was clear that this man had some trouble coping with things. Chuck made a mental note that he would have to inform Beckman, this man needed some help.

"Good you're here." The agent began with a scruffy voice. "Get in so we can get things started." He said with some disinterest. He was ignoring every safety regulation in the book.

"Great" Morgan said as he went to open the door, but Casey placed his hand on it to prevent it from going open. The NSA agent did not seem to happy about what was happening before him. Chuck could see it didn't do him any good to see a fellow operative being broken like this.

"I understand what you've been through Agent, but that is no reason to be as careless as you are being now" the Major stated, his voice surprisingly understanding. "None of us are getting in this car, unless both sides have indentified themselves as by standard operating procedures."

Chuck knew Casey was right, that they had to do this, but he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the mentioning of standard operating procedures. Their team in Burbank had rarely done anything by the book.

"Fine." The agent sighed, as he reached inside of the car to get something. As he turned back around he was holding a weathered looking wallet, he quickly opened it revealing his identification. "Happy now? He asked annoyed.

"Not quite." The Major responded, "This" he said pointing at the ID "could after all still be a fake, and my team will not enter a trap that takes us straight to an enemy facility."

Casey turned to Chuck, "Agent Carmichael do the honours by starting the lovely sentence you have been given." He said with a hint of sarcasm at the loveliness of the sentence. Chuck rolled his eyes. But did it anyway.

"Whatever you want Major." He said before finally getting to the sentence. "A given horse's mouth might not be as pretty." He said, again being stunned by how ridiculous those sentences were. They really did do their outmost not to have those things come up in day to day conversation.

The agent sighed. "But it's a whole damn cheaper then that of the horse you would have to buy."

Casey gave a small grunt before saying "Now we can go." Finally allowing Morgan to get into the car. A small smile appeared on Casey's face as he whispered, "Better get used to being in the car, moron." But Morgan didn't seem to hear him.

As they were driving across town to the Villa, Chuck couldn't believe how beautiful it all was. The somewhat romantic and idyllic atmosphere he felt when he was looking outside. How this city had been here for so many years. He couldn't help but think about how Sarah would have loved being here like this, being in a city like this. He had always had a feeling that a change of scenery from time to time was something she craved, and had been something she needed. He tried to shake the memory of her by trying to imagine what it would have been like to have lived in the days of old, to be living in the days of Toga's and great games at the coliseum.

Unfortunately at the thought of Toga's his mind wandered back to a mission of old. The time he had went back to Stanford with Sarah and Casey, where they had inadvertently stumbled over some Icelandic spies, the thought was still ridiculous to him, what on earth was Iceland doing with spies, especially ones with crossbows. He remembered calling people and calling out the code phrase Fleming had told him shortly before he was pierced by an Arrow. He was so lost in his thoughts that he muttered to himself "Are you coming to the toga party?

The agent that was driving the car looked into the mirrors with some surprise, and saw his passenger staring out of the window with a blank expression and asked "Sorry did you say anything?" waking Chuck up from his memories.

"Oh no sorry," he began "you know just some memories."

The agent nodded "I know what that's like kid" earning him a grunt from Casey.

A comfortable silence settled back in the car, as they continued to the outskirts of the city. It didn't take long for Morgan to break the silence though, as he saw something that he liked.

"Dude that is unbelievable!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"That it is buddy." Chuck said, immediately being hit by an idea. "You know Morgan, we should go and discover the city a little after we have worked everything through. Would help if we knew the city a little." He said smiling.

Morgan smiled at him "That would be awesome."

Silence settled back in the car, only occasionally interrupted by the nerds being incredible impressed by something they saw. They really were impressed by the city. Finally they arrived at their new base of operations. And what they saw was just mind blowing. In front of the huge house, there was an equally big fountain, there seemed to be more rooms then Chuck could count, palm trees were surrounding the house, and the drive way was longer then the street he used the live in as a kid. They couldn't help but let their jaw drop ever so slightly, even Casey seemed impressed. Their reaction earned a small smile from the agent.

"It's amazing isn't it?" The agent said still smiling.

"What are you kidding?" Morgan began "This is just, wow, I can't believe it, just wow." Chuck couldn't help but laugh at his friend, even though he had felt much the same reaction.

As they got out of the car the agent motioned them to follow him, as he started waking his way up to the house. The three men of teamB happily followed him, as they too started making their way up the stairs towards the door. Chuck couldn't help but think about how impressive this all was. He still couldn't belief that Beckman had stationed him here, he had always thought he would get sent to some far off place in some weird jungle, yet here he was.

They had finally made their way up to the oak door, where the agent quickly opened up the door, and what they saw was just as impressive as everything else they had seen so far. Right in front of them was a long winding stairs, three different corridors, two going into the different wings of the house, and one leading into a room placed directly after the lobby. The stairs were made of some marble like material, as were the floors, and the hallways were filled with pillars. To say the three men were impressed would be an understatement.

"You know, this would go a lot faster if you guys would walk a little" the agent grinned.

The three men just nodded, as they were still to flabbergasted to speak, and started walking after him.

"Okay, so I'm basically going to run you through the most important areas of the house, the different access points to the base downstairs, and some stuff upstairs like the gym, and the garage. So I suppose we'll start down stairs first." He said while starting to make his way down one of the corridors that let into the wings.

"Okay so the base, code name The Cave, has three entrance points, each wing has one, and there is one at the end of the small corridor behind the lobby. It also has an escape route that leads into the woods behind the mansion." He explained as they were making their way towards the entrance. "As you've probably read, or heard in a briefing, the base has everything you'd need, a conference room, an armoury, a J-crew for spies, holding facilities, all the latest software for well anything you might need to do, highest level of hardware, a host of gadgets, you name it it's there." He finished as he finally stopped, near a closet, and the man began searching for a switch on the side of it, as he flicked it, a panel appeared, allowing him to enter the access code, followed by an iris scan.

"The other entrance at the other side of the house has the same system, I'll show you the one in the room behind the lobby after I show you around down stairs." He said with a flat voice as he made his way downstairs, the men following him closely.

Downstairs there was another panel, as he opened that one as well, they finally saw their new base. It was like an enlarged version of castle, it really had everything they could have asked for. Clearly no expense had been saved for this base of operations. Chuck wondered if they would have to deal with other teams from time to time, they always had enjoyed the comfort of having Castle to themselves. Chuck looked to his side and saw that Morgan's jaw had dropped, while Casey had moved to look around, Chuck quickly followed his example. And the more he saw of the place the more amazed he was.

As he returned from his first look around the place, he still saw Morgan standing at the door glued to the ground. He clearly was in shock that he was going to be working there. So Chuck went over to him, to nudge him back to the world of the living. He walked up to him and softly shook his shoulders.

"You okay buddy?" he asked him with a smile on his face.

"Yeah it's just…" he answered after a few seconds.

"I know buddy, you'll get used to it." He said reassuringly, as Morgan finally moved.

Agent Turner turned to Casey. "The kid new?"

Casey grunted affirmatively and added "And a Moron." Earning himself a strange look from the agent.

After a few more minutes the Agent took them upstairs again to show them the last entrance to The Cave, it turned out to be an entrance worthy of his father, Chuck thought to himself. It was a simple light switch, but when one entered the letter C in Morse Code, a part of the floor, and the fire place made way, opening up another entrance to the base underneath the house. "That is awesome." Chuck said in response to the reveal.

The Agent took them through the rest of the house. The gym received an appreciative grunt from the Colonel while the screening room got a few appreciative remarks from Chuck and Morgan. It didn't take them longer than an hour to make their way through the entire mansion, much to the delight of Agent Turner who was still anxious to leave. Finalising the tour, he made his way to collect his suitcase, and to leave. His last surviving team member had already been evacuated, so there really was no reason for him to stick around.

"So that's it." He said with a weary sigh.

The men opposite to him nodded, and Chuck put out his hand. "Best of luck agent Turner, I'm sure Casey here wouldn't mind giving you a ride to the airport."

The Major gave him a deadly glare, but still nodded. He wouldn't turn his back on another agent, no matter how annoyed he was about the way he would have to do it. "Thank you, and you guys take care of yourself."

The two agents turned to leave, as Chuck called out to Casey. "Oh and Major, when you return we'll be downstairs, setting things up." Casey just grunted in response.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah Walker needed a few moments to orientate herself after waking up. She needed a few seconds to let it sink in where she had woken up. Letting out a slight groan she realised it was her own apartment. An apartment though, that didn't feel like her apartment. She almost longed back to her old hotel room. It didn't help much that the first night back in her old apartment wasn't much better than the last night in the hotel room, it didn't help much that in her first night back she was walking on that bridge again. And it certainly didn't help that the first real thought on her mind upon waking up was a tall lanky nerd. She wondered how he, and the other men on his team were doing. They'd be settled in now, she thought to herself.

She sighed slightly as she got out of bed, she had to meet Beckman shortly, meaning she couldn't do what she really had wanted to, go out for a long run. She had to hurry if she wanted to make it in time. She would have to go for a run when she got home from work. The meeting with Beckman itself, was not something that stood high in her list of things to do before you die, in fact she was dreading it. She had always respected the short woman, she had been an impressive force in the intelligence community, and to meet a woman with her stature was something else, not to mention how intimidating that woman could be.

However liking and respecting are two completely different things. After everything the general had put her and her old team through, with all the orders to handle Chuck's feelings in that way, with all the constant using him as a tool, and never seeing him as a person, hell with using them all as tools rather then people, and the whole Orion thing, not to mention pushing Chuck to change. No Diane Beckman was not on her favourite person list, and it seemed like a very small chance that she ever would be.

As she felt her feet getting cold from the floor, she gave a quick glance at the alarm clock, still the same one as Chuck had given her at Christmas all those years before, somehow she hadn't been able to leave it behind in Burbank. The realisation hit her that she had been standing there for a few minutes doing pretty much nothing, so she had to hurry even more to make it to her briefing in time. She really didn't want to think about Beckman being mad at her on her first day back in Washington.

She took a quick shower, and got dressed. As she made her way out of the bathroom, she was wearing a typical female business suit, dark blue, skirt dropping slightly below her knees, with a white button up shirt under neat her equally dark blue jacket. She wanted to look the part of the head of an important CIA operation. She still felt like it was just a part she would be playing, as she still identified herself as a field agent. Sure she was glad that certain things would not be required of her, but a part of her would definitely miss the whole field excitement. In fact, if the opportunity she was presented with now hadn't been such a career opportunity, there would be very little chance of her taking it. In fact she would have more than likely asked for that field position, perhaps even trying to get teamed up with Carina again. As an added bonus that would mean no male partners, that didn't seem like that bad of an idea. But Agent Walker did like the idea of a career, and this would be the best way to go about it.

She steadied herself with one deep breath, and a quick look at the one picture in the apartment she allowed herself to put up. It was a picture of their small group of friends in Burbank, somehow she could find comfort in that. The rest of the pictures she took with her were stored in the back of her closet. Finally she made her way to the door, to head out of the apartment.

The street as she exited the apartment complex was full and vibrant, it wasn't anything like she had experienced for the last three years in Burbank, it would take some getting used to again she realised. Sadly her Porsche still hadn't arrived which meant she would have to use public transport to get to Langley. It wasn't something she had wished for, but the lack of time didn't allow her to drive all the way from LA to Washington, now she would have to wait a few more days for her car to arrive. But now instead of enjoying the speed of her car, she would have to make her way to the subway, it would probably be the fastest way to get there.

It didn't take her long to reach the subway station. She had still remembered the most conveniently located one, in relation to her apartment from the few times she had used public transport in her early days in the Agency. She remembered how in those early days, Langston Graham had always tried to look out for her. From the day that she was recruited, she had been his favourite, better put he had seen her use as a tool. In the first few months, it had seemed like a good thing. Later though, as things unfolded she learned what the downside of things were. How special assignments would require certain sacrifices of her, sacrifices that sometimes meant sacrificing a piece of herself. It was her willingness to please him, her willingness to throw herself into the CIA run world, to give meaning to her life, to give a feeling of self worth to herself, that had lead her to become the extremely efficient field agent she was. It was that drive, that motivation that gave her the reputation as Langston Graham's wild card enforcer, and it was that reputation that had lead her to Chuck Bartowski, the man that changed all those views she had, and then left her hanging. First by leaving her on that train station, then by changing. Now she wasn't sure on anything anymore.

As she was quietly thinking about the days of old, she easily found her way to the platform for the line to MacLean, much to her fortune she didn't have to wait long for it to arrive. Moving through the crowd that was getting off, she made her way inside, finding a seat without to much hassle. In front of her was an older man, who just nodded at her, as she started scanning her surroundings. Even in these situations she would never let her guard down. Despite a few staring men, something she had wished to avoid with her more formal attire, there didn't seem anything other then usual in the train, so she sat back an relaxed a little. The last few encounters with the Ring had made her a little more edgy, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

Ultimately she made her way to DNI headquarters without too much trouble, and well in time for her meeting with the General, so she decided to grab a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria. In her rush in the morning she had totally forgotten breakfast, so she was feeling slightly peckish. The cafeteria was exactly what she would imagine a cafeteria in a normal corporation would look like, though she had never had a normal job in her life.

She purchased a couple of chocolate croissants and made her way to a table. She gave a few agents she had met before a quick nod, wondering in a few cases what they were doing at DNI hq rather then being on assignment in the field, perhaps they had made a promotion as well she pondered. She found an empty table facing a table with some nerds situated at it. They gave her a few looks, something that wasn't out of the ordinary, but they didn't seem to look at her lustfully, but like they were wondering if they had seen her before. Their looks had made Sarah dig in her memory as well, making her realise that they were analysts she had worked with before being stationed in Burbank. One of them had given her the phone she had handed to Chuck when meeting him for the first time. They were nice people, albeit a bit creepy like Jeff and Lester. After a while one of the nerds got up, and made his way to her table.

"I'm sorry but aren't you Agent Walker?" The nerd asked as he reached her.

"Yes I am" she replied with a neutral expression.

"Wow, I hardly recognized you, I mean you look the same, but there is something different about you. We almost thought you were Agent Walker's twin sister or something."

"What do you mean?" She asked with a questioning look.

"No offense Agent Walker, but you used to have this cold vibe and expression, you seem much softer and warmer now." He said shrugging.

She just looked at him for a few seconds, she knew she had changed the last three years, she had however never known that this change was so clearly visible for the people around her. Now certain things that Casey said from time to time made more sense, and not just that, some of the confusion Chuck had had over those years made more sense as well, though her constantly kissing him and then yelling a few days later and in some cases even seconds didn't help much either. She really had believed that she had put on a better act than this. She sighed slightly before speaking "Perhaps I've learned a few things these last few years." She shrugged a little while speaking.

She gave her watch a quick glance, and realised it was time to go. Not that she minded, this was way to personal for her comfort, so she actually felt a little bit of relief. "Sorry but I've got a meeting." She quickly got up and left to go upstairs. When she looked back for a second she could see the that the nerds were clearly excited about something.

She found her way to Beckman's office without too much difficulty. As she opened the door with number 1214, she saw a small waiting room. Two secretaries were busy on the phone, and a few slightly older agents were occupying a number of the seats. They seemed distant and cold, and nothing like the people she had been around for the last few years, even Casey seemed like a caring and loving person in comparison, she thought to herself. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, she missed the warmth of Burbank, and deep down she started to miss the warmth of Chuck. Her Chuck of course, not the one that the Agency made out of him.

She started to wonder where Shaw was, she had expected him to be there before her, and now he wasn't there waiting. As she checked her watch she saw she only had a few minutes to spare on getting there herself, but before the surprise could really set in, one of the secretaries spoke up.

"Agent Walker?" She asked the blonde agent.

"Yeah that's me." She replied with a small nod.

"The General asked me to sent you in, Agent Shaw is already in with her." She said before returning to the constant streams of phone calls. Sarah was amazed at how the two women were dealing all the callers with a smile on their faces.

There were also some question marks that came into her mind as she heard Shaw was already inside. How long had he been there? What was he discussing with the General? Why didn't either of them wait for her to join them? Wasn't she an equal partner in this? Still thinking she opened the door.

As she opened the door, she saw the General stand up from behind her desk, and put out her hand, "Ah Agent Walker, good to have you here." Meanwhile Shaw just gave her a quick glance. It was almost like he felt guilty about something, or was hiding something from her.

She took the hand that was offered "Thank you General" she replied with a some what steely voice.

The General motioned her to sit, before continuing. "I'm sure you are wondering why Agent Shaw was here a while before you, and the short version is a quick debriefing on his personal mission in Burbank." With a voice, and look, that made it clear that this was the end of the matter.

Sarah just nodded, she had wanted to know more, and this just intrigued her even further, what had been Shaw's mission? Did it have to do with the intersect? Was it because the General thought she was compromised? Was it some ploy to make Chuck a weapon? Was it focused on the Ring? She really wanted to ask the questions that were burning in her mind, but she was certain she wouldn't get the answers she wanted so badly.

"Good" the general said, looking from one Agent to the other, "now for your new assignment." She continued as she opened a drawer, and put a file out in front of them.

"This folder contains all the data of our field operatives that are focused on taking down the Ring. It specifies what they excel in, where they are based, who are part of their teams, what their specific covers are, etc. So basically this contains everything about them." She slid the folder over to them before continuing. "As you two are aware, we are at war with The Ring, well with more groups but that is not of your concern right now, and you will head up that war. It will be your responsibility to make sure we come out on top. I do not need to remind you of the cost of failure I hope"

The two agents responded with silence, indicating that they were very much aware of the costs of losing this war.

"Good, now Agent Shaw, with your knowledge on the Ring, you will take point in this assignment. That means, you will determine operational targets, and will be responsible for analysing any incoming intel. As for Agent Walker, you will coordinate operations with the different field teams, discuss the mission specifics with them, and when necessary you will be sent out into the field for short periods for evaluation of the teams performance." The general looked at them intently while speaking. "Any questions?"

"No general" they sounded off in unison, though Sarah wasn't sure what to think. She might be sent out to Rome, and at the very least will be forced to communicate with Chuck regularly again, that can't be good, can it? How would he even respond to that after what he had requested in her letter? Could she perhaps make a deal with Shaw on that matter? Their last encounter was still engraved in her memory, she didn't want to relive that again. Deep down she really wanted to be able to go about things in a friendly manner again with Chuck, though she still didn't want to hurt him. Maybe I should call Casey to prepare Chuck a little for this, she thought to herself. She was almost surprised at how much she still wanted to protect him. Not to mention that she wasn't sure how she would handle seeing him again, even though part of her might just want that, another part of her would find it to painful to be confronted with what she lost, and her own responsibility in causing him to change. If only I'd told him what I wanted before his dad interrupted she thought to herself.

"Very good, then Agent Shaw you are dismissed, I need to talk to Agent Walker." The general said with a commanding voice, causing Shaw to cut his glare short. It was clear the man didn't like to be left out on anything, but realising her superiority he got up and left, as the general turned to face Sarah. She wasn't sure she would like this one…

X-X-X-X-X

Casey was calmly making his way back to The Cave, a name he still had to get used to. Well as calm as one could expect from a slightly aging NSA agent, that was stuck with two morons, that liked nothing more then to talk about things that annoyed him to bits. Things that sometimes included things like caves for bats, and similar places. It was the reason that the new name was something that wasn't high on his list of things he approved off.

So far the most surprising thing of this assignment has been proven to have been Bartowski. He really had expected that upon striking out with Walker again, the kid would just be moping around again, eating cheese balls, but none of that. Sure at times, when the idiot thought no one was watching him he could still see a great deal of pain in the young mans face, but it seems like the kid is finally putting his head into the game. As much as it pained Casey to admit it, it almost seemed like Chuck was becoming a spy. Of course Casey would never admit that to Chuck, he didn't want such thoughts to mess with his head.

He had an easy time finding his way through Rome, unlike the rest of his team he had a history there. A history that he could remember like it all happened yesterday. A history that involved everything he had told his partners that he didn't believe in. A part of him still couldn't believe they had just accepted his constant taunting about how love is for suckers, and how true spies don't fall in love while he himself fell in love with another spy.

If he was honest though, he wouldn't even have mind if something had happened between them. It had been clear to pretty much everyone that spent any amount of time with them that those two were crazy about each other, it was why he was surprised when things had gone so wrong between them. If something had happened between them in the first two years, he might even had considered looking the other way, unless they were starting to fail their jobs. It was why he was thankful for Bartowski putting things to a halt after Bryce showed up for a second time. Had he not, he might have been forced to put in a 49B before Beckman was able to. He had really expected that after the Awesome wedding something might blossom between the two, but somehow Walker hadn't taken well to him downloading the intersect. Something had happened there that had tore them up, he could see it in their eyes, whenever they were near the other there was only confusion and pain. He had never dared to ask what had happened, part of him had wanted to, he cared about the two, but it just wasn't him to talk about emotions.

Now though his thoughts wandered back to his own spy romance. Both hadn't known that the other was a spy, which in fact only made it more foolish. A spy and a civilian is a ridiculous and dangerous concept, it was the very reason he had abandoned Kathleen. Though if he had known about his daughter he might just have done things differently. For a second when he learned he had a daughter he had considered looking her up, but she didn't deserve that someone would come in and toss her life upside down. His relationship with Ilsa had been different though. He had always had the feeling she could take care of herself, that there was something she had been able to do, that Kathleen was. Of course only years later he learned why that was.

He could still remember meeting Ilsa, or whatever her name was now. That flower market had been in his mind for years after she had been "killed". It was the only time other then with Kathleen that he had fallen for a woman. Sure he had flings now and then, but what he had with Kathleen and Ilsa had been different. He loved how he had shared some kind of kinship with Ilsa, there had been an unspoken understanding. He still remembered asking her out in that flower market, then dining that evening in some small restaurant. Ilsa had picked it out, which was probably for the best, he was not known for his romantic abilities. It had been the first time since Kathleen that he did not need to use Roan's methods to seduce a woman, all had happened naturally, and even now thinking back to it, he could see she hadn't tried any spy moves on him either. What had followed was a four month romance that ended on that bomb explosion. It had been some of the greatest months of his life, how it ended though, tainted his ideas of love. It had made him negative towards the idea, it really had made him believe that it was for suckers. After all only suckers open themselves up for pain like he had done there. Still he wouldn't trade those experiences for the world.

Without much problems he found his way back to the Villa, even he had been impressed by it, though that was something else he would never admit to the morons. He had never been on an assignment in a place like this, he usually spent his time stuck in walls of oligarchs and foreign dictators. For now though he was glad he wasn't stuck in one of those walls, this had been a some what sweet deal. "Time to see what the morons are up to" he muttered to himself as he made himself a way inside.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was looking at the woman in front of her who was looking at her with intense eyes. She had not expected this, what on earth could the general want to talk about with her? The mission seemed rather straightforward, important but nothing out of the ordinary. There had even been some relief to be able to go out into the field from time to time, but when the general dismissed Shaw she had been surprised to say the least.

"Now Agent Walker there are some things I need to discuss with you." The smaller woman started.

Well that is rather obvious isn't it general she thought to herself "Okay general" she said slightly hesitant, trying to hide a slight hint of nerves.

"Agent Walker, we need to discuss your tendency to… umm get involved with the people you work with." The general began with a slight edge to her voice.

She hadn't expected this, this was none of her business. "I'm sorry general, but with all do respect, I really don't think that is any of your concern." She said with an annoyed edge on her voice.

"None of my concern?" The general repeated with a hint of sarcasm "Agent Walker when you constantly get involved with our best agents it becomes my concern."

She just looked at the general for a few seconds, "I'm sorry general, but constantly? I haven't dated anyone since I was paired up with Bryce three years ago." Not because of a lack of desire though she thought to herself, but you made sure that desire was all it was, a desire.

"Don't play coy with me Agent Walker" the general said clearly annoyed "We are all aware of your… personal relationship with the intersect. It might not have become more than you claim it was, but I've read the reports Walker." She sighed before continuing. "Look Sarah, I understand what it's like, I think the whole intelligence community knows about me and Roan, but I can't have you running around incapacitating perfectly good Agents, including yourself." The general sounded more caring than normal.

"I'm still not entirely sure I follow General" she said slightly confused.

"As I said Agent Walker I read the reports on the intersect's functioning. It is rather clear why it failed. I can't have you do that to any other Agents, intersect or not. As for yourself, if the intersect had never malfunctioned due to Bartowski's emotions, you wouldn't be here. I would have much preferred to keep team Bartowski together in the field. I was forced to change that very successful set up because of everything that happened in your private life. Not to mention Agent Larkin's performance after we sent you to Burbank never got close to his performance before hand."

"Wait, what? So I'm here because of Chu,- Agent Bartowski? I thought I was here because Agent Shaw requested my presence." She asked with a slightly elevated and confused voice.

"Oh he had no objections when he found out, but he had nothing to do with you being here." The general told her nonchalantly.

Her head was reeling. She had thought she was here because Shaw had requested her, because he wanted her with him. Now she learned that what she had perceived as some spy form of commitment was nothing but orders. She sighed internally, how had she been fooled so easily? Did she really need love so badly now that she would make herself belief in things that aren't there? Deep down she knew the answers.

"Listen Sarah, I'm not trying to hurt you, but you need to ask yourself if this is what you want, if pursuing relationships with other Agents is a good idea, especially you need to ask yourself how professional you can handle yourself in it. You going around incapacitating perfectly good field agents does not look good on your record."

She just nodded in response, she was still to confused to talk.

"Good, now unless there are any more questions you are dismissed." She said returning to her sterner demeanour.

"Actually General there is one thing, What was Shaw's mission in Burbank?" she really had considered to let it rest, until she heard the truth about why she was reassigned.

"For now Agent Walker, that is none of your concern." She said clearly annoyed to be back at that subject.

She got up out of her seat, "Fine, good day General" she said adding some venom to the first word.

The general didn't respond, as she returned to reading files that were stacked on her desk. Sarah sighed, she needed to work out, perhaps she could clear her mind a little.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was sitting at the conference table in The Cave, files scattered all over the table. It hadn't taken him long to set things up, computers were still his thing, and he had helped Morgan learn his way around the software that was still new to him. The bearded man had picked things up surprisingly easy, and as such Chuck was now going through the personnel files of the 10recommended female agents. He really wasn't sure what to look for, they all seemed equally great in his eyes. Morgan had suggested with a smirk to look for the most attractive and pick her, Chuck had reminded him of the importance of the choice, though he did it smiling. He sighed, he needed to make a choice. Perhaps I should have let Beckman make the choice, he thought to himself.

So far the only two agents he had discarded were two that were slightly to old to pose as his girlfriend. He needed a believable cover after all. But that still left eight agents to chose from, all seemed quite similar. Most were experts in the basics, hand to hand combat, knife throwing, marksmanship, seduction, interrogation. Some excelled in one field, while the others were above average in another. He ran his hand through his curls for what seemed like the hundredth time since starting to study the files, he was still no where. He could use Casey's experience on this one, he thought as he picked up one of the files.

He looked up from the files as he heard the distinct sound of the door to The Cave opening.

"Hey Casey." He said absentmindedly, before returning his look back to the files.

The major gave him one of his quick grunts as he started his way down the stairs. Making his way down to the conference table, before speaking. "Not having much luck huh Bartowski." He said with a slight smirk.

Chuck rolled his eyes, he should have expected a slight dig from the older man. "You know Casey, you could just sit down and give me a hand." He said slightly annoyed, even after all the time they had spent together the older man could still get under his skin.

"Fine Bartowski." He said gruffly while pulling back a chair to sit down, "Where is the other moron anyway?"

"Morgan decided it would be best to determine our next team member, by judging her on her looks." He sighed shaking his head a little.

"Told you he was a moron." Casey deadpanned with a faint smile on his face.

They spent the next hour going through the different files. Casey had quickly discarded two more files, leaving them with six remaining potential team members. After a few back and forth discussions, they only had two more files remaining. Both had a similar record, it would be a matter of gut feeling who to go with. It would be Chuck's call. He opened both files and looked into them.

One of them contained all the date on an agent going by the name of Kayla Mitchells. The 27 year old agent, standing 5'8" tall, sporting long brown hair, and equally brown eyes, had a very impressive service record. She had been recruited at Yale, in her junior year, where she studied Law. After completing training at the Farm, where she had excelled in nearly all of her classes, closing in on the records of one Sarah Walker, she had been paired up with one long term partner. They had been successful in taking down several arms dealers, and a few ring operatives. A few months earlier her partnered had been seriously wounded on a solo mission, leaving her on a few temporary assignments since then. All her superiors had been full of praise about her. She also seemed to have some interest in the more nerdy aspects of the job, and spoke Italian.

The other female agent went by the name of Andrea Simmons. The 30 year old agent, 5'9" in length, with shoulder length black hair, and green eyes, had an equally impressive record. She had been recruited at Harvard in her sophomore year, where she was studying foreign languages. She was also a member of one of their martial arts teams, where she had proven herself a very capable fighter. The Farm had been nothing but a breeze for her. She too had one long term partner after leaving the Farm, and becoming an active field agent, unfortunately he had gone rogue. She had been cleared from all involvement, and she was still highly recommended by her superiors. The intersect also didn't ring any bells on her, in regard to her loyalty.

Chuck was impressed by both women, and so was Casey, but if Chuck was honest with himself he knew they would never equal Sarah, not in his mind anyway. He still wished her to be there with him. You can't work with someone that doesn't trust you, he thought to himself, "Besides she made her choice" he muttered to himself, with a gleam of sadness in his eyes and voice.

"Well you got to make a choice Bartowski." The man across the table said to him, breaking his thoughts. Causing him to look up at the man.

"Look Chuck, just go with your gut." The older man told him supportively, adding a small nod.

He returned to nod, and turned his view back to the files for just a view seconds, before picking up Agent Mitchells file, this will be our new team member he said with a small smile.

"Good to see you're still in brunettes Bartowski." The major smirked.

"Shut up Casey." He said rolling his eyes, though granting the older man a small smile, "Let's call the General, we need to get this thing on the road."

Casey grunted before getting up to make the connection.

X-X-X-X-X

She had finally found the time to go for her much desired run. She had spent most of the morning reading into her new file, and getting to know her local staff. During the whole time she had been absent minded due to what had happened with the General. The last few months had confused her enough, she certainly did not the General adding to that, not to mention Shaw. She really wasn't sure what to make of that.

She sped up a little as she made her way past a few other runners, who had decided to make use of the great weather to enjoy a run through the park. She easily slid past them, before settling back into her old pace. She really just wanted to have an easy run, without taking things to far. Much to her own annoyance she couldn't shake the thoughts and feelings that had already had a hold on her for a while. She just couldn't get the conversations with the Red Devil out of her mind. She had decided that the Red Devil was an appropriate nickname for the General. She snickered a little as she thought of what Chuck's reaction would have been to that name, before trying to shake the thought of him again.

She sighed a little as she returned her thoughts back to her current assignment. She had wished to talk to Shaw about everything she had heard, but he had just spent most of the time avoiding her. There hadn't even been an attempt to get her to his loft, or to dinner or anything like that. It only made her grow more suspicious. She had already promised herself to try to find out what he had been sent to do in Burbank, she realised that she was considering him more and more as a mark rather than as a love interest with every passing minute. Then she was starting to think that perhaps she was a mark, that perhaps she, the one that had been the best at this, had been played. Not to mention that she had already begun to feel disillusioned by the whole relationship, as far as you could call it that. It was exactly what the old Sarah would have liked, but did the new one? The one that was changed by one Chuck Bartowski? The man that made her this confused, the confusion that was making her frustrated.

She picked up her pace again, knowing that she needed to get to the bottom of this.

X-X-X-X-X

The conversation with the General hadn't taken long. In fact it hadn't been more than just a few minutes. She had seemed a bit more intense then usual, perhaps even a little more secretive. Chuck didn't mind that the conference didn't last long, he had the time to go see a bit of the city with Morgan. He had asked Casey if he wanted to go with them, but the NSA agent had just muttered something about training and morons. So now he was walking around Rome with his best friend.

He had to admit that with every step he took, he was stunned by the beauty of the city he was in. More than once he had caught himself thinking that he should tell Sarah about this thing he just saw, more than once he had tried to shake the thought, but at times he didn't, it was just too hard to keep fighting those feelings. It was just not him to fight off feelings. And every time he felt that way, he felt scared, what would happen in the field? On occasion Morgan would throw him a worried glance, he could clearly sense out his friend.

They had taken their time to walk past a few of the iconic landmarks of the city. They had stopped for a while at the coliseum, looking in awe at the grandeur of it. Imagining how it would have been in those days. Morgan had remarked something about how it would have been awesome if there had been some epic lightsaber duel in the arena. Chuck had instantly agreed and they had spent a while nerding out on the idea of combining some of their favourite nerd themes, with the ancient roman world.

As it was getting late, they decided to go by the Trevi Fountain before heading back. When they reached it, they were again stunned by its beauty. "Wow" they muttered in unison. They made their way through a small group of people standing near it, to make it to the side of it.

"Amazing isn't it?" he asked the shorter man next to him.

"Indeed it is." the man next to him answered with a smile.

"Makes you think though doesn't it?" he said, emotion was slowly seeping into his voice.

"About what?" Morgan suspected what it was, but he didn't want to push it.

"You know, everything." He started slowly. "It's just that, I'm not sure if I can do this. I'm not sure if I can handle the emotions, and things well enough to, to, to get us through this." He stammered a little.

"This has to do with Sarah hasn't it? The bearded man asked.

"A little, well a lot, but it's more than that. This isn't just about me still being in love with Sarah, or having a hard time keeping those emotions in check, it's about being able to ensure your safety, and that of the rest of the team. What if it malfunctions again?" he spoke emotions now clearly present in his voice. They were now slowly walking away from the fountain, making sure no one could over hear them talking.

"Look Chuck, you're looking at this thing from a wrong perspective. You are trying to be someone you are not. You are Chuck Bartowski, a man destined for great things, you are however not like a Bryce or a Casey, you need to talk and work through your feelings Chuck, face them, not hide them. Think about the last time it failed, just think about why it was." He said somewhat sagely.

He eyed his friend, he realised he was right. He had been trying to be someone he's not. He's been trying to combine two worlds, yet he should have kept himself, as himself. Even after everything what happened with Hannah he apparently still hadn't learned his lesson.

"Perhaps you are right little buddy." He said looking at his friend.

"Of course I'm right, I might be new to all this, but I'm the intersect when it comes to one Charles Irving Bartowski." He said looking very proud at what he had just proclaimed. "By the way, I've got something for you back at the Villa, I was planning on waiting for the right moment, but I think this might be it."

Curiosity peeked in his mind, but before he could ask any questions his best friend spoke again.

"So what about the new girl? You think she's going to do well for us?"

"Oh I'm sure of that buddy, I'm sure of that."

X-X-X-X-X

She sighed in relief as she finally set foot on Roman soil. She really did not like flying, even though she had done so regularly. Somehow she had never gotten used to it, so a long flight like this one had not been very soothing for her. Still today was a good day for her, she would start her new assignment, hopefully a long term one.

When the General had told her she had been selected for a high level assignment in Rome, to work with Agent Carmichael of all people, she had been really excited. She had heard of Carmichael before, his reputation was incredible, though he apparently had some alternative ways of doing things. That only made her smile, she was looking for Agents that went for results rather than going by the book.

She smiled as the warm Italian sun hit her face, and she saw what she assumed was her ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:The First Mission**

Kayla was carefully looking around her as they were driving from the airport to the CIA base of operations. It was the standard of her training to be constantly watching for dangers. As she glanced to the man that was sitting next to her in the dark SUV she could see he was doing the same thing. She had been surprised to find that the man that was waiting for her wasn't Carmichael, but his partner, and now her partner as well, John Casey. Just like she had heard of Carmichael before, she had also been aware of Casey's reputation. The reputation of elite sniper, and highly regarded NSA Agent, he was occasionally referred to at the farm. She had heard of people that Casey was a cold and gruff man, a man that did not have much of a conscience left, and in fact had become a cold hearted killer.

As they met for the first time she had carefully examined him. Reading people had always been one of her strong suits, she had excelled at that at the farm. When she looked Casey in the eyes she had seen a slight hint of pain and hurt in his eyes. She had seen some loss. Oh he was definitely good at hiding it, but she had seen the look before. She could see the first signs of them in her own eyes when she looked at herself in the mirror. Losing her partner had been a hard blow for her to handle. It had almost convinced her to quit the CIA herself, something she had considered before. Seeing agents with a empty look in their eyes always terrified her. She realised that the cold exterior of most agent was some sort of last way of handling things, it was after all better to kill all parts of yourself that actually felt something, rather then constantly having to deal with the things one had seen and done. Naturally there were exceptions, people that do enjoy all aspects of the job. She figured that the man sitting next to her had not always been what his reputation claimed he had become, she hoped for it.

As they krept through Roman traffic her mind wandered back to where it had been since Beckman had called. She didn't even know she was on a nomination for a reassignment, hell she had been on a mission when Beckman called. It was that, that had made her so intrigued by this whole situation. There was something going on around here, something high priority, and that means something dangerous. Beckman hadn't told her much, all she said was that she was to report to Rome where Special Agent Carmichael would brief her, and that a replacement would be sent to complete her mission in Marocco. Upon hearing the name Carmichael she had become intrigued by this assignment. His reputation had been growing in the intelligence community for the last few years, when he suddenly popped up out of nowhere. Not many people knew anything about him, some claimed he was a ghost. When she arrived at the airport and found one of the NSA's best standing there, it only intrigued her more. It was flattering, she had to admit that, to be assigned with such renowned Agents.

She glanced over to the man behind the weel, with his cool exterior. Sometimes he seemed a little annoyed by what happened in front of him, and she could swear she heard him mutter things like moron or numbnuts a few times. She was dying to get to know more, and she had hoped he would give her information. In stead they had sat in a growingly uncomfortable silence for the last 20minutes, and her thoughts about what the mission entailed did not help her feel more at ease. She really had tried to stay silent, and not seem like some eager rookie, but she had to see if she could learn some more. If not about her assignment then at least about the people she was working with. She glanced over one more time before breaking the silence.

"You mind if I ask you a few questions?" she started carefully, not wanting to upset her new partner on her first day.

He looked at her for a second with a slightly annoyed look, before giving her a small grunt which she interpreted as an if you must.

"What exactly are we doing in Rome?" she asked trying to keep curiosity out of her voice.

He sighed a little before speaking. "I can't tell you that, till we get to The Cave."

She gave a small knowing nod, she had not heard anything about this mission, but she understood that, that must be the codename for their base of operations. She wondered what it was like.

"So I know there is you and Agent Carmichael, anyone else I should know about?" She asked with some hesitance, she realised that he might not give any information till they arrived.

"There's an analyst, a real moron if you ask me, but Carmichael seems taken by him." he said slightly shaking his head, while never taking his eyes of the road in front of him.

"What is Carmichael like anyway?" she asked with curiosity now clear in her voice. She had been dying to learn more about him.

She looked over to the man next to her when he didn't answer right away, she could see a pensive look in his face. Finally he spoke. "He's different, he's a unique person in the intelligence world." he stated in a matter of factly manner, as if it was the end of it.

They slowly continued through Roman traffic, with an uncomfortable silence returning to the car. There were still so many questions left to be answered, but she realised she would have to wait. Every agent hates the idea of being in the dark, she was no different.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah let out a yawn as she sat back in her leather office chair. Quietly she looked around her office, which was pretty similair to the one that Beckman had for all those years. She had been surprised by the size of Beckman's office, but her own wasn't much smaller. On the other side of her oak desk, which was full with stacks of files, were two chairs, both fairly basic. Clearly the higher ups didn't like the idea of comfortable agents. Not that she knew what would be wrong with an agent feeling comfortable, but she wasn't going to bother herself by changing things. The rest of her office was rather bare, there were some book shelves, but nothing of importance seemed to be on them.

She sighed as she looked at the stack of files now gathered on her desk. She had spent the last few hours trying to work through them, learning as much about the large number of teams they had working under them as she could. It hadn't taken her long to realise that there were to many teams to remember every detail, so she had set out to make a clear system. Making a seperation between the teams that were stationed in the different areas of the world, adding notes on certain things the different teams excelled at, and how their performance had been judged by their superiors.

Most teams had similair reviews, they worked by the book, they worked hard, and they followed orders. Some were succesfull, while others had a neck of getting into unexpected problems. The most interesting file had been the file that used to include her. She had been very interested in reading through the file of the Roman team that was under her control. Her old team. She had been surprised by the lack of information the file gave on her former partners. Even Casey who was a very well known figure in the intelligence world, had not had much mentioning. Not even his former dismissal had been mentioned. The only team member that had a bit more information had been the new team member Kayla Mitchells.

Sarah hated to admit it, but she was impressed by her replacement. She hadn't heard of her before, not once had her name come up somewhere, something she regarded as a good thing. She hated that so many people seemed to know her, not to mention that it didn't help that her partner was also a relatively well known figure. It was always a risk when infiltrating an enemy operation, or when trying to seduce someone. She could still remember how it almost went wrong when she tried to seduce Cole Barker when they still thought he was a Fulcrum Agent. It wasn't something she was proud of, but she had almost lost control of that situation. The British Agent was definitely something else. She was glad though, that her old team had a competent replacement, it seemed that Beckman had held her word, Chuck did get a pick of the best of the best. No surprise there, Beckman loved having the intersect as a toy to play with. But to her it was a comforting notion to know that her old partners had someone they could rely on out there.

Something else had her mind pre-occupied since the previous day. The talk with Beckman still had her curiosity peeked from time to time. She wanted to know more, she needed to know more. If she was to work with Shaw, if she was to work with Beckman she needed to know the truth, she needed to know what was going on. So she had done some thinking. She would have to get the answers from Shaw, the best way she would know how, especially considering the circumstances of them being on the same side. Or at least they seemed to be on the same side, a part of her had been nagging in her mind that there was something dubious about the secrecy. For now all she could do was try to charm it out of him, so tonight she would have to take him out on a date.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was making his way through the house back to the hidden basement area. He had spent most of the day so far working with Morgan trying to get him aquinted with the most rudimentary equipment he would be using. The bearded one had caught on a lot better than had been expected, but still Chuck had been in need of a break after a few hours. His friend had a tendency to kid around a lot even though things had to be rather serious when it came to this. Things had to be completely serious, with everything that was at stake. It was hard to stay serious all the time with Morgan, he had to admit that, after all it was his best friend, but this wasn't a game. It still surprised him, that Morgan sometimes seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Even if he hadn't always taken things completely serious in his early days either, he started to realise a little bit more why Casey and Sarah had always been riding him so hard about his safety. He was even beginning to understand why it was hard to be emotionally compromised as an agent, especially when the person that causes you to be compromised is incompetent at defending himself.

"Perhaps there was more truth in all that I'm your handler stuff then I thought" he muttered to himself as he finally found the right hallway.

The first day in the villa had been confusing at times. The place was in Chuck's opinion almost like a maze, it almost made him wish that he had one of his father's wrist computers.

Ultimately he arrived back in the Cave, hoping to find Morgan there, but there wasn't any sign of him in the conference room.

"Morg you around her buddy?" He yelled in the hope that his friend would hear him from some other part of the base, but his only response was silence.

"Great." He muttered under his breath, "Where have you sneaked off to Morg?"

He made his way to the computer in the conference room to see if he could locate him on one of the camera's that were placed in and around the house. He was surprised when he saw what looked like Morgan in the gym. He really had not expected his friend to try to get in a better shape, perhaps he was taking it more seriously than expected. He decided to see if he could help out his friend, while they waited for Casey and Kayla to arrive.

To his relief he didn't have much problems finding his way to the gym. He really had been getting annoyed by the difficulty he seemed to have getting around the place from time to time. Walking in he saw Morgan trying to do some benchpresses.

"Wow, never thought I would see this." He joked as he walked closer, causing the shorter man to sit up.

"Yeah neither did I. Anyway what's up?"

"Oh nothing much, just thought I'd see if I could help you out here while we wait for Casey and Kayla. How much have you put on that thing anyway?" He asked pointing at the piece of equipment that was in his friends hands a few moments before.

"Oh just a few pounds." Morgan answered looking down.

Chuck walked over to have a closer look, and was surprised by what he saw. "Seriously Morg? Ten pounds? Trying not to strain yourself are ya?" he said laughing slightly.

"You know, just trying to get a feel for it" Morgan answered with a slight shrug.

"Anyway shouldn't Casey be back yet?"

"They probably hit traffic or something. Perhaps it would be better if we wait downstairs though. Go get cleaned up, and I'll see you down there." He said as he slapped Morgan on the shoulder, while he started to make his way back.

Fifteen minutes later, Chuck were sitting at the conference table idly waiting for Casey and Kayla to finally arrive.

"You know I'm telling you Chuck, an xbox360 on that screen would be amazing. Can you just imagine a game of Call of Duty on that thing? Without a doubt would do my kill/death ratio wonders."

Chuck had to fight back a small smile, he had promised himself before leaving Burbank that he would try his best to keep things serious with Morgan. To try to keep it professional when they were discussing anything spy related, this was one of those times that he had to restrain himself. Although he would have to admit that his first instinct in Castle back when he first saw all that equipment had not been much different. He had almost gone and gotten one of his consoles, had it not been for one of Casey's classic threats. He could just imagine Casey's reaction to Morgan if he did what he wanted to do.

"I don't think that's a good idea buddy. We'd better keep that kind of stuff seperated from the spy stuff, besides you know Casey would break your thumbs if he'd ever caught you gaming down here, right?" he replied smiling a little when he thought about Casey going after Morgan.

"I know man, but still, that would have been something."

"That it would have been. Anyway I'm going to call Casey see where they are at, they should have been back at least half an hour ago."

He took his phone out of his pocket, and started scrolling through the menu in search of Casey's number. Before getting to the point of dialing though, the doors of The Cave slid open, and revealed Casey and a new face. The face he recognized from the file he had studied intently when he was to make his decisions. That had to be Agent Mitchells. Quietly he got to his feet as he watched the two agents walk towards the conference table, the brunette Agent following behind the older man, clearly taking everything in. Ultimately her eyes rested on the two figures sitting at the table, the customary look of surprise was already present, so he needed to step in and set her at ease.

"Hi, I'm Charles Carmichael, but you can call me Chuck." he said to the younger woman, putting out his hand.

She carefully sized him up, surprise still in her eyes, before taking his hand. "Hi, I'm Agent Mitchells."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, anyway this here is Morgan Grimes, the local analyst." he said giving a short nod to Morgan who got up to greet the new team member. Chuck could see in his friends eyes he was impressed by this woman.

"Nice to meet you Morgan." She said taking his hand. Morgan just seemed a little lost for words, which earned him a jab in the ribs.

"Yeah you to." he finally got out.

"Anyway, have a seat and we'll get things started."

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was waiting outside Shaw's office. She had expected more co-operation when she first signed up for this new position, but in stead she was forced to wait to enter, just like every other person. Shaw had called her a little while earlier, demanding she'd come to see him, he had some urgent intel to work through. It wasn't a surprise anymore, but he had been downright blunt, and had not even taken the time to greet her properly. Being honest with herself, she couldn't say it surprised her. Shaw had always been a rather distant and cold man, but she had hoped there had been something behind it. At first he sometimes showed that there once had been something, but he had quickly dismissed those ideas. She really didn't fancy the idea to go out with him anymore, but she would have to suffer through it.

She could still remember the first time she had met Shaw in a professional capacity. He had been stubborn, and had lacked better judgement when it came to both the team and Chuck. Not to mention his lack of caring about anything but his crusade against The Ring. In many ways he had reminded her of Bryce, he had been a safe bet, something she had known, something she knew how to handle. Something that did not require feelings, feelings she honestly did not have for the Agent on the other side of the door.

She sighed a little as she noticed another few minutes had past, and was starting to get a little angry with the agent that had demanded to talk to her. She would have thought he would have been ready to see her straight away. It probably didn't cross his mind once that she had better things to do then sit around waiting for him.

Finally the door opened and two agents dressed in the typical G-man attire, walked out. They looked a little annoyed upon leaving the office, but never gave her a glance. Not that she mind that one bit. Without thinking she marched into his office, she would not wait any longer.

"Good you're here." Shaw said from behind his desk, not even bothering to really look up from the file he was studying.

"Yeah well thanks for letting me sit outside for half an hour." She said with an edge on her voice.

"You know how it is Walker, some people have priority." He said with a shrug.

"I'm supposed to be your partner Shaw, that does not mean that you can just let me wait around for you like I should be at your bidding 24/7. Next time you'd better be sure that you're ready to talk to me." She said throwing him a glare.

"Fine" he said with a huff "Can we get started now?"

"Fine" She answered with an annoyed edge still on her voice.

"Good. Now we just received some intel from our Paris office. We need to follow up on this." He said sliding a folder over to her side of the desk. "This has top priority Walker, we need to get this one right."

Without answering she picked up the folder and moved to the door. She really wanted to leave the room. As she placed her hand on the doorknob she remembered her personal mission, so she turned back to face the man engrossed in the files in front of him.

"You know I was thinking, perhaps we should grab something to eat tonight."

"Yeah sure. Call me later with the details." he answered with his voice surprisingly flat.

"Sure." She replied as she opened the door, and started walking out. Finding out about his Burbank mission might turn out harder than she had expected.

X-X-X-X-X

The team had been sitting at the conference table for the past fifty minutes, trying to get to know each other. At least to an extent that it's allowed for spies to really get to know another spy. It had surprised Chuck how easily it had been for Kayla to get a long with everybody. He had been used to the whole cold spy thing for the past few years now, and seeing one that seemed rather open was almost like a breath of fresh air. She had shared quite a bit about previous mission, even if he didn't need to know any details, after all he had flashed on her before, and had read her file. But still it was good to hear her talk about them. It was something he had always wished Sarah would share with him, the stories of her past.

He was thankful she got a long with Morgan and Casey aswell. It was a rarity for people to not be taken a back by his two friends at first. Casey's gruff exterior always made it hard for people to connect, and even though the Major had not shared much, Chuck could sense that he had no problems with the new Agent. In fact, he seemed liked he opened up to her a little more then usual.

Morgan had been a different story. He had surprisingly been at his best behaviour. Chuck could still remember the first few times that Sarah and Morgan had been in the same room, especially after the whole cover dating thing started. It had been, to say the least awkward, but nothing like that seemed to be going on. In fact the young female spy sitting across the table from him seemed genuinly interested in some of the stories the short bearded man had to tell. Thankfully he had left out any Bartowski references. Chuck made a mental note to compliment him for that later.

"So let me get this straight, before you came here, you were in Marocco?" Morgan asked the young female spy.

"Yeah." She said seeming unsure where he was going with this.

"And before that you were in Italy for years?" He questioned her again, with some awe in his voice.

"Well pretty much, though I kinda was all over the place at one point, but I suppose I spent most time in Italy yeah."

"Wow that is so cool. You know Casey it would have been fun if you had shared some more of those kind of stories." Morgan said looking over at the major, who looked back at him with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yeah not gonna happen moron."

Chuck just shook his head slightly, before he heard the distinct sound of a message incoming on his phone.

"Great it's Walker, apparently we got a mission, she'll brief us in a few minutes." He announced to the team, with a fairly cold voice. Apparently she had not been willing to comply to his request to have Shaw brief the team in stead. He could see Morgan giving him a slightly concerned look upon hearing the name Walker, and even Casey seemed to have a hint of concern in his face for a few seconds.

Kayla didn't seem to catch on to his slightly changed mood, "Wait Walker? You mean Sarah Walker?"

"That's the one." Chuck responded unenthusiastically.

"Wow, I heard of her, she's supposed to be this great Agent."

"That she is, and she is also our former partner." And the woman of my dreams he added for himself, "Apparently to her a piece of cardboard was more interesting than spending some more time with us. So there you are." he said with some sadness on his face.

"I see." Kayla answered pensively.

Catching on to her changed mood, Chuck tried to reassure her. "We are glad to have you here though." he said with a smile.

"Definitely." Morgan added. While Casey just gave out a small grunt.

Seconds later they heard some sounds coming from the screen before an all too familiar Blonde appeared on them. Chuck couldn't help but notice how she still looked as beautiful as ever, not that that was surprising. He couldn't help but notice her more formal dress style, and the hair being in a bun rather then loose, as he preferred it himself. Still he couldn't help but feeling a little warmer when she appeared on the screen. He just hoped this would be over fast.

"Hello team." She said in a formal tone.

"Good day Agent Walker." Chuck answered for what was effectively his team, trying and succeeding to keep his voice cold and neutral. He just hoped the pain on his face wasn't as clearly present as he feared.

"First off Agent Mitchells, welcome to team Carmichael. Let me assure you, you are in great hands with these men." she said giving the younger agent a small smile.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Now to business. We just received some intel from our Paris office. Apparently this man..." she started as a few pictures of a dark haired, tall, and well dressed man appeared on the screen. Chuck inmediately looked down at the files in front of him, trying to hide his flash from Kayla, as his eyes began to flutter. Casey and Sarah gave him a quick glance, he gave them a quick nod as the flash passed after a second. "Stefano Borrelli, is planning on shipping some dangerous weapon to the US. We have reason to belief that this weapon is supposed to be sold to the Ring on short notice, which is why your mission is tonight. Borrelli, just got back to Italy after a supposed business trip to France, in truth he was meeting with some people regarding this sale, he's throwing a fancy party to celebrate tonight. Your mission will be straightforward, infiltrate the party, sneak onto his computer, and retrieve information on the weapon itself, and when and where the deal will go down. We've arranged the appropriate covers, so any questions?"

"None at all Agent Walker." Chuck replied for his team, still with a cold voice.

"Good, oh and team, good luck, and stay safe." and with that she disconnected.

"Well we'd better get ready then." Chuck said as he stood up to go to his room, supposedly to put on his tux, but also desiring to be alone for a few minutes.

X-X-X-X-X

Sighing she sat back in her office chair. Seeing Chuck had brought a wide range of emotions back into her mind. He had looked so pained and dejected, his voice had been so cold, and he had again refrained from calling her Sarah. Somehow that stung, but it also confused her. Part of her blamed herself for him changing, for him taking someone's life on the night of his red test, but she didn't see any of that in him. She only saw pain of a failed romance in his demeanour. It only frustrated her even more, because perhaps he had changed more then she thought.

It had been hard for her to face him as well, and she thanked her lucky stars for her training. Every reminder of him still hurt her on to many levels, but facing him in his spy demeanour, even if she could see through the front he tried to put up, was harder than she had hoped it would be. It was a reminder of how she had forced him to change, how Beckman had forced him to change, and how Shaw had forced him to change. All the three people that were now pulling the strings of Team Bartowski were responsible for what happened, yet she was probably the only one with some regrets of that.

For now she needed to clear her head, to numb herself. There was only one way for her to do that, and that was to work out.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was standing in his room dressed in one of the Armani Tuxes that had been hanging in his closet when they had arrived. Tucked away in his waist band was a tranq gun, and he had another one in a shoulder rig. Teamleader or not, he would not compromise his stance on killing anyone, and for now he didn't see the need to shoot to kill. Smoothing out his tux he gave himself another quick look in the mirror.

He was glad that it was time for a mission, sitting around the Villa doing nothing had not been necessarily a bad thing, but it did give him a lot of time to think. He had only been gone from Burbank a few days but he still missed it like crazy. Not being around his sister was something that he found extremely hard to deal with, not to mention he missed Sarah. Every time he thought of her, he tried to get his mind on something else, but it wasn't easy. That was one thing that was good about being here, not many reminders. It was why he had hoped she wouldn't brief them, but she did.

It had only been a few days since the last time had spoken, it had only been a few days since he had written her that goodbye letter, that had definitely not been enough time to get over her, he needed five years to get over Jill he just hoped this wouldn't take as long. One thing had helped him in seeing her, she seemed in her place. Regardless of everything that had happened, he couldn't help but be glad about that, and the fact that she was now in a lot safer position than she would have been if she had stayed a field agent.

Still in thought he started looking at a few of the pictures he had set out on the dressoir in his room. Pictures of his friends and his family. Even some old pictures of him and his parents. It had been such a relief getting the closure he needed from his father disappearence, not to mention the joy on Ellie's face when he had shown up for the wedding. He couldn't help but wonder what happened to his other parent.

Slowly his eyes went from picture to picture, hoping to gain strength of the memories of the people that were nearly always looking happy. Every picture a memory of what his life had once been like, and what he still hoped his life could one day become. But for now he needed to keep going, he needed to keep fighting, and he needed to utilise the power of the intersect to help his friends. He needed to utilise it to win this war, perhaps after that, he could contact his dad and get it removed again.

Remembering the last time he removed it, was a bittersweet moment. In that moment after his dad told him it had worked things seemed perfect. He was finally done with that burden, he was feeling like himself again, and he had hoped to get the girl of his dreams, to enclose her in his arms. None of that worked out. Her telling him that she was leaving only moments before his sister was getting married, had helped in his decision to download the intersect, but it had been her constant reminders of that he was a hero, and the conversation they had shortly before the 49B about the importance of the intersect in this war, in protecting her and Casey, and all those other agents out there, that had pushed him into downloading it.

It was the reason why he had been so confused that she had been so angry with him. She pushed him to become this, she had pushed him to step up and embrace his destiny in stead of fighting it. He had done it for her, well and a little for Casey. Now looking at the picture that Morgan had given him the night before, a picture that he had swiped from the box he had wanted to leave behind in Burbank, he couldn't help but feel that same confusion. Looking at her in that picture, taken on his sister's wedding day, was a reminder of the roads he could have taken. It was a reminder of how things could have been between them, and in his own life. It was a reminder of lost hope and lost love. But it was also a motivation for him, he would not let his loss be for nothing. He would help her win this war, even if only to protect her.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice it when someone entered the room.

"You better be ready for this Chuck." He heard a gruff voice say, snapping him out of his train of thought.

"Don't worry I'm fine Casey, besides we've done this before." he said as he turned around to face the man.

"Not without Walker we haven't. Come on Chuck we both know how important she was to you, and not just on missions. Just make sure you got your head in the game tonight, this is to important to mess up with your lady feelings."

"Yeah, yeah John, don't worry I'm fine. And you don't have to remind me of the importance of Agent Walker or this mission. Thankfully you guys taught me a thing or two about turning off emotions."

Casey let out an annoyed grunt. "If you're so sure you're ready for this, put down the picture of Walker and let's go. Don't want to be late for your first outing with Mitchells do you now?"

"Fine, whatever Casey." He said rolling his eyes, as he put back the picture and followed the major out of the room and towards the car. To Chuck's surprise the older man was standing in the hallway.

"By the way, what did your flash say?"

"Oh you know the basics, Arms dealer and smuggler. Known associate of several mayor players in the world, including Fulcrum, Farc, and a few middle-eastern terrorist groups. Likes to play his cards close to the vest, and apparently has a legitimate business selling top of the line work out equipment, and home appliances. Rumor has it, he likes to torture people that go after him with red hot knifes, they found some mutilated bodies near one of his former bases of operation. Oh and he always has a few bodygaurds nearby. So yeah the basics." He ended with a shrug.

Casey let out a small grunt. "Ok. Now remember Chuck, Mitchells might not be Walker, but she's one hell of an Agent, I think you made a good choice on this one. Anyway, just trust her when you're out there." He said eyeing Chuck with concern for a second.

"I know, thanks Case."

X-X-X-X-X

Derek Small was sitting on a small bench, across the street from some restaurant. He had spent the last few weeks chasing down leads on the location of Daniel Shaw, and now he finally had a strong lead on his position. The Director had made the enemy agent a top priority for the entire organisation, but he had an extra investment in this one.

He could still remember hearing that Shaw was still alive, despite the fact that one of his agents had said she had taken care of it weeks earlier. He had been furious to learn that she had failed, and had been glad for Sydney that she had been killed already, because he would have had a dire fate ready for her. With her failure to kill Shaw, his own record had been spotless till that moment. The failure to kill him, had cost him a lot of credit with his superiors. Weeks later he had sent out Rafe Gruber to take care of Shaw, but that to didn't work out, no one had heard of him since.

Another failure could cost him more then a little credit, it would probably mean he would face the same fate as the surviving Fulcrum operatives had faced. Some had been integrated into the Ring, but quite a few of them had faced an awful fate at the hands of some of the most notorious people in the Ring. In the end the Director did not take failure well. He could still remember the deafening screams of this one brunette girl, he wasn't even sure of her name anymore, but it was something like Mel or Jill. There hadn't even been a point to what they had done to her, they weren't even after information, they had just done it for the sake of it. The girls pleading and screaming hadn't helped, she even claimed to know information that was imperative to The Ring operations, but no one had cared. All that had remained in the end were her screams of terror. He could still hear her piercing screams, it was enough to keep him focused on his missions. It was enough to keep anyone that was there on that day in line.

The Director had been clear in his latest orders, locate Shaw, and make contact. A straightforward mission, if only he could understand the changed stance from his organisation. Why would they one moment want Shaw dead, and the other they just want to make contact somehow. Something had to be playing in the higher ups. Part of him was eager to find out, but for now he would remember his place, this wasn't a time to mess around.

Glancing around the street across from him, he could see a familiar tall man walking towards the restaurant, with some blonde on his arm. He couldn't place the blonde, but he had seen her before. For now she wouldn't matter, he just had to confirm their location and call it in. To his relief he saw them walk into the restaurant, so he took out his phone.

"Small secure, but public." He said with a low voice.

"Director secure." The man on the other end of the line said in a British accent

"I've found Shaw, he's at some restaurant on a date with some blonde who looks oddly familair."

"Good, proceed as planned."

"What about the blonde?"

"Ignore her for now, if my gut is right we might need her alive." He stated in a slightly sinister tone

"Yes sir, Small out."

X-X-X-X-X

They were about to pull up to The Borelli Mansion, a few miles from their own place, and Chuck was feeling a little anxious. So he turned to his side like he always did, trying to ease his nerves by looking at his partner. For years whenever he had done that, he had seen the golden locks of the woman that had saved him to many times to count. Of the woman he had foolishly enough given his heart to before he had even realised it himself, but now he saw the brown locks of his new partner.

He had to admit that she looked good in the sleek blue dress that she wore, and he had told her that. Not that she had needed a reminder, Morgan had practically been dumbstruck again when he had seen her arrive in her attire. She had seemed a little taken a back by the bearded man's reaction to her appearance, but she had just as easily shrugged it off. She probably wondered how this weird little guy had made it into the CIA ranks. The truth when it came to Morgan would probably not surprise her.

Looking at her face, he could see that she was perfectly relaxed. Not that he had expected anything else, after all she was a highly trained highly skilled agent, but still he wondered at times how they did that. He still felt the nerves every time he went out on a mission, and he never really hid them well. Wanting her to be at ease with his ability he decided what he always did, he tried to talk things out.

"I bet you didn't expect someone like me when you heard about this assignment." He started with a slightly nervous tone in his voice.

"You could definitely say that. I mean you're not quite the textbook agent in the way you look." She answered him truthfully.

"Don't I know it." He quipped "Look we might do things a bit differently from time to time, but I think that is what gives us an edge you know. I mean everybody knows the by the book actions, which is probably why a lot of plans fail. I guess what I'm kinda trying to say is, that despite our odd ways at times, I really just need you to trust us, like we trust you." He said looking at her intently.

"I know, and I do, just try to give me a heads up." she said giving him a small smile.

"You got it." He said smiling back at her "You know this is kinda weird for me, this whole going on a mission thing without Agent Walker. Except for a solo mission or two it has always been us as a team. I don't know how you did it these last few months going from partner to partner."

"You get used to it I suppose. I remember the first time I went on a mission, after Dave, my former partner, had been injured, it was almost like something had been missing. But you know after a while I realised, weither a partner is that guy, or that guy, most spies are quite generic, and what you'd miss is a skill set, rather then the person. Now I know that sounds pretty bad, but believe me, when all you do is run from mission to mission together, there is little time for personal time. Not that most spies allow someone to see their personality anyway" She said with a hint of sadness on her face.

"I suppose you are right." But what if the person you are missing was more than just a tool to get things done, he thought to himself.

A few moments later they arrived at the party. Getting out of the car Chuck and Kayla started making their way over the red carpet, leading up the small stairway upto the big wooden doors of the mansion, which were open, with a few men standing near it, clearly looking for people that shouldn't be there. With an air of confidence around them, they walked up to the broad shouldered, some what mean looking man that was checking the invite list to see if all the people really belonged. Getting closer, he could see the man starting to watch them over. His eyes rested for a moment on Kayla, but they returned to some guests that were walking in front of them. As they reached him, he beat them to the punch as he spoke up.

"Name please" The man asked with a fake sweet voice. Causing both agents to glance at each other for a second.

"Carmichael." Chuck said a few seconds later.

For a few seconds the man started checking the list. As Chuck glanced over the list from where he was standing, he could see how long it was. He guessed it must have had at least two hundred people on it. After a few seconds, the man clearly found what he was looking for.

"There you are, welcome Mister Carmichael." He said stepping aside, "Have fun tonight." he said still in the sugary sweet voice.

"Thank you." Chuck answered, placing his hand on Kayla's lower back leading her inside.

Making their way through the lobby, he placed his hand to his earpiece for a second. Needing to inform Casey of their situation.

"Okay Casey, we're in." He muttered under his breath.

"Roger that."

Upon entering they saw that the place was packed. It was almost a sea of people. Quiet music was playing in the background, as the guests seemed to mingle, while some others were laughing around on the dance floor. It seemed like a regular cocktail party one that they both had gone to more than once, and hopefully they both would be attending quite a few more times in the future. They had debated for a while where Casey could be utilised best, and ultimately they had decided that for now he would wait outside. Upon examing their objective, it seemed easy to get to the room they needed to get into, from both the entrance, and through one of the windows. It would be less obvious if they needed help, if it was just a driver needing to go to the bathroom. For now though, Chuck and Kayla would have to do what a normal couple going to such a party would do, they would have to mingle till the time was right for them to make a move, without someone noticing.

Chuck turned to Kayla, "Allright let's mingle a little, and we'll meet back here in about ten minutes."

"You got it." She said with a small smile, as she disappeared into the crowd.

"Better get out there myself." He muttered as he too started making his way into the mass of people.

X-X-X-X-X

She was looking at the man in front of her. She was looking at his lips that were moving frantically, not with a desire the slam hers unto them, or to taste them, or to have them caress her body, but because she had a trouble listening to him. He never had something other then work, or how amazing this wine was, or this food, or this thing he once did, or this kind of jewellery, to talk about. In fact all he seemed to be about were power moves, and materialism. No idea of having fun, or talking about something other then the basics, or perhaps just cuddling up on the couch together.

She had been growing increasingly frustrated by this thing they had, that he called a relationship, even before she had heard of a secretBurbankmission. She was starting to realise more and more that this thing she had once called a relationship herself, was a flight, it had been what she had known to have been a relationship for most of her life. A mutual necessity driving them to each other, rather then an affection, or a love. It was more a matter of them being around, at least it had been so for her. It had been safe, at least that was what she thought till she heard she might have been a mark. When she had learned that, she felt disgusted that she might have been played as a mark. There was one small solace, she had never really fallen for this man, and with each passing day it was becoming more apparent why.

Part of her had started realising why she dated him even before leaving Burbank, that it was because Chuck, her Chuck, not the agency Clone was slipping away, that she was losing him, that he chose some brunette over her, that he was changing, that loss, that sense of loss was what caused her to need someone in the first place. She had hoped that their shared sense of loss would establish something of a connection, but it hadn't. Shaw had never seemed intent to create a bond after he wheeled her in like some mark, he had never seen to be interested in something she had to say, or wanted to do, all he was interested in was thekamasutra, and the Ring. But now that she learned about the existence of a mission, she felt some disdain for this man in front of her. He might have played her as a mark, and he might have just been sent to change her Chuck in a weapon, in a toy for their superiors.

If she was honest, she knew what had been wrong with their excuse of a relationship. What they had was a typical spy relationship, the exact thing she had always believed in at one point. A relationship with no strings attached, and definitely no emotional investments, much like she had once had with Bryce. Now though she wasn't the same person anymore, she was starting to realise that, because of what happened inBurbank, that because of everything that had happened between her and Chuck, she couldn't go back to this anymore. She needed more, she knew what she needed, she just didn't believe it existed anymore. But finally she was getting it, finally she was understanding that this thing, this so called relationship just wasn't her thing anymore. She needed more, she wanted more, and be damned if she'd settle for less. But for now she would have to suffer through it, she would have to see if she could learn more.

"Sam?" she heard him say snapping him out of her train of thought.

"Yeah sorry, kinda zoned out there, what were you saying?" she replied sheepishly.

"Oh you know just how amazing this wine is." He said smiling at her. She thought it was supposed to be his seductive smile, guess what buster not working anymore she thought to herself. And again with the wine, can't this guy ever stop? Focus Walker, you need the intel, just relax, it isn't like he's the first mark that didn't have much to offer.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked with a completely neutral voice. But trying to convey some hope through her eyes, and the small smile she threw him.

"Sure why not." He replied, though he seemed a little taken a back by the question.

"Well you know, I've been wondering, why did you go after me at first. I mean I'm sure you could have gone here in Washington and picked up any girl you wanted." That's it Walker give him the sweet talk, try to play into his ego, she thought to herself. "I mean why wait till Burbank?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes it matters, it matters to me. It shouldn't be that difficult of a question. There is either a reason for us to be here, or there isn't." She said, with some emotion now in her voice.

"Look Sam I know that, but I don't really know what you want me to say." He said with slight confusion in his voice.

"Fine, then how about you think about it for a while. When you are ready to tell me the truth, we might give this whole thing another try." She said harshly, with a scowl on her face before getting up. She knew she had to force something to get to the truth, and this seemed to be the path that opened up. If he wanted to come close to her again, he would have to open up.

She took a few steps towards the exit as she stopped and turned around, "Oh and another thing, it's Sarah." she spat. With that she turned around and left.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was glad that he had come prepared. The aspirin he had learned to take with him as a standard was being put to use, as he just finished another flash. He downed a second aspirin of the night, as he took another sip from his glass of water. He hadn't been surprised by the many criminals that had come to the party. Inbetween quite the few upstanding citizens, there were notorious drugslords, people with terrorist ties, and members of the Italian mob. This man really was in deep. He really wanted to do something about it, if he hadn't been set on a pre-determined mission he might have called in some strike, but for now he would just have to play it cool.

He looked around trying to find his partner. They had agreed to meet a few minutes earlier, but she was still in conversation with a few people, so he to went to go socialize a little more. Trying to find someone interested to talk to, he found his eyes coming to rest on the host of the party. Now that could be an interesting talk, he mused to himself, as he decided to walk over there. Who knows what this man would have to say. So he started walking over there, through the mass of people, fully channeling his Carmichael persona, a definite air of confidence around him. Not one person would ever question his presence there.

Reaching the man he was aiming for, he stuck out his hand. "Charles Carmichael." He said with a strong confident voice.

The man took the hand with a firm grip. "Stefano Borelli, it's a pleasure."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine." He said with a small smile.

"So I understand you just moved here, I'm glad you came, you must have been something if you acquired such a wonderful house at your age."

"Oh you know how it is, created some software for the government, made a killing of it, and here I am." Chuck responded, still smiling.

"Ah yes, you young kids with your computers. I'm more of an old fashioned guy myself. You know, home appliances and such things." The other man said with a smile and tone that revealed that there was more to it than just some legitimate business. "But you know, perhaps we could sit down and talk sometime later. I'd be interested to learn about that software of yours."

Chuck looked around for a second before talking, trying to get eyes on Kayla, he could see she was making her way to their agreed meeting point, looking for him. "That sounds great, contact me sometime later, I'd better make sure my girl over there" He said pointing in the general direction of Kayla, "is not getting bored without me."

"Oh yes, yes of course. You go ahead, and have fun."

"Thank you, and you to." He stated with a nod, as he turned to meet up with his partner. He did not even make it halfway, before his earpiece cracked slightly.

"What are you guys doing? You should have been at his computer by now. You better not pull another Walker on me Carmichael." He heard the Major say in an annoyed voice.

"We know Casey, we are on our way there. Tell Morg to start the loop" He said as he locked eyes with Kayla for a second.

A few seconds later he reached his partner. To protect the cover he leaned down and softly kissed her on the cheek before speaking up.

"So you enjoying yourself?" he said with a serious look on his face.

"A little, but I know what we could do to enjoy ourselves even more." She said with a devious grin, as she took his hand and started leading him to the hallway that lead to their objective.

Carefully looking around as they reached the hallway, they both let out a small breath that they had been holding. They slowly started to make their way to the staircase at the end of the hallway, needing to go to a small office up stairs. Both just hoping that there wouldn't be to much problems in entering it, and acquiring the data they needed. As they almost reached the end of the hallway, Kayla looked up to Chuck for a second and then spoke up.

"Can I ask you something?" she said softly, still glancing over her shoulders from time to time to make sure they weren't being followed.

"Yeah sure."

"What did Casey mean with pulling another Walker?" she said as she glanced at him again.

He waited for a moment, while they started making their way up the stairs, before speaking up. "Let's just say that Agent Walker and I, well we have a long and... umm... complicated history."

"So what, you two were lovers or something?" she said with some surprise in her voice.

"Well not exactly, it's kind of a long story." he said with some sadness in his voice.

She was about to speak again, but they reached a corner, so he put his finger to his lips, signalling that they had to stay silent for now. Slowly he took a small mirror out his pocket, as he held it out slightly around the corner. He could see the door they were looking for, to his disappointment there was a gaurd standing in front of the door. He placed the small mirror back in his pocket as he faced Kayla.

"Ok we got one gaurd in front of the room we need to enter. Any ideas to take him out?"

"Well you know, drunken party girl always does it well with these kind of guys." She said with a smirk.

"Allright then, go get him. If something happens I'll be right behind you." He said taking his tranq gun from his waistband. "Casey, we have one bogey in front of our objective. Kayla is going to move to take him out."

"Roger that" he heard in an almost grunt.

Chuck looked around one more time, making sure no other people would come to surprise them. As he returned his focus on his partner, he could see her making sure her hair was disshelved, after already having done to same to her clothing, making sure she looked the part of innocent drunk girl. She flashed him a grin as she started making her way around the corner, trying to look wobbly on her feet.

She rounded the corner and started making her way to the man that was standing at the door, while Chuck peeked around the corner from time to time, to make sure that everything was in order. From the distance he was at, tranq darts wouldn't be a very effective weapon, it was why he had asked her to come up with something she was comfortable with. Still he clutched his tranq gun in his hand, knowing that the few yards less he needed to bridge if something went wrong could make a difference. She made it halfway to the gaurd, before he finally seemed to take notice. Surprise evident in his eyes, even from where Chuck was sitting.

"You aren't allowed to be here." He said with a slightly raised voice.

"I'm sorry." She said her voice slurring as if she was drunk. "It's just I can't find my boyfriend.. hic... and I kinda... hic... had to much to drink.. can you like help me or something." she continued, stumbling a little as she continued closing the gap.

The guard looked around a little, seemingly unsure on what to do with this young woman that was so obviously drunk. He was clearly torn between staying on his post, or doing what he had been taught to do since he was a little boy. Ultimately, his uninvited guest made it easy for him, as she stumbled in such a way that she almost fell, forcing him to reach out and catch her, just in time.

"Thank you." She said softly, while he was still preventing her from falling with his arms around her. "Oh and sorry for this." He looked at her questioningly for a second, before her right first made contact with his jaw, causing him to release her, and causing them both to fall back to the floor. The guard let out a groan, as he was lying on the floor, while Kayla quickly got back on her feet. She saw, the guard cautiously moving his hand to his waistband which was holding his gun, but before he could reach it, she knocked him out with a swift kick to the head. She straightened out her dress, and started searching his body for the key.

She cursed under her breath as Chuck reached her. He had taken off from behind the corner as soon as the guard had prevented her from falling, but the female agent had taken him out so swiftly he had no chance to get involved. As soon as he reached her he shot one of his twilight tranq darts in the guard that was lying down in front of him.

"Twilight dart." He said shrugging a little, as she looked up at him questioningly.

"Oh right, well he doesn't have a key, so I guess we have to do this the old fashioned way." She stated as she took some bobby pins out of her purse. She immediately squated down in front of the lock, and started to get to work.

"Good job with the guard by the way." Chuck said as he looked while she opened the door.

She gave him a small nod, as they both took the guard by one of his arms, as they started dragging him inside the room. They would have to drag him back later, but for now it would be better to make sure no one saw an unconcious guard lying in the middle of a hall way. Finally having dragged the man inside, they closed the door again. Making their way to the computer that was situated on a lone desk. The room they had entered was dark, but there was some lighting coming in through the window. They could easily make out the different things in the room, including a large book closet, and a few shelves. There were even some photo's in the room. As he sat on the chair behind the desk, Kayla handed him the equipment he needed. It took him a while to set up, but a few minutes later, he was carefully copying the entire hard drive onto his own portable one.

"Casey, we're copying the data right now, get ready to move." He said with a strong but quiet voice.

"Good, hurry it up."

"Relax Casey, I can't make it go faster than this. This thing doesn't have an accelerator." He said annoyed.

"Whatever moron." he heard the other man grunt.

Both of the agents kept glancing at the door, they knew that every second could make a difference. Occasionally Chuck would look at the progress bar, as always in such a situation it seemed like it took an hour for it to progress another percent. He glanced over at his partner, and he saw the same intense look in her eyes. She did seem slightly more relaxed than him, but she was still standing by with her weapon aimed at the door. These were the moments he loved having Sarah at his side, one look of her could calm his soul. The second he thought of his former partner he chastised himself, reminding himself that this was not the time to think of lost love.

"Come on, come on." He muttered repeatedly under his breath as the device reached 95%. Finally after another 20 seconds, the bar went to green, and the digits changed into the word had seemed like it had taken hours, while it hadn't been more than a few minutes. Chuck could feel his shirt clinging to his skin a little from the transpiration, that had been caused by the intensity of the situation.

"Finally." He said letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, as he started unplugging his equipment, immediately handing it over to his partner, who stored it in her purse.

"Casey we've got what we came for." he said with joy in his voice, not being able to hide his smile from the other agent in the room.

"Good now move it."

Having packed up all the gear, they were about to drag the still unconcious guard back outside.

"Hang on for a second, I got an idea, that is if I can find it." he stated against his partner, immediately dropping the guards arm, and opening a few cabinets.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

"I'm looking for some booze. We'll just empty out a bottle of alcohol and put the empty bottle next to him. If someone finds him, they will never suspect anything was wrong." He said while still rummaging through the cabinets.

"Not a bad idea Chuck." She said as she too started looking. It didn't take her long to find what they were looking for, and already mostly empty bottle of Whiskey."Got it." She said triumphantly, as she held up the bottle.

"Oh that's perfect, come on let's get going."

Without too much effort they dragged the guard back out. Once they were outside, they locked the door up, and poured the remaining alcohol on the guards clothing. They pulled him up, and put him with his back against the door, and clutched the empty bottle under his arm, before finally moving towards the exit. They intertwined their fingers as they started to go back down the stairs they had come up earlier, both realising they needed to act like a couple that had desired for some alone time. They both sighed in relief as they reached the party again, without anyone giving them a second glance.

He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "Come on, let's get out of here, Casey's probably waiting."

Keeping up with their cover, she giggled a little and slapped his arm playfully, as she let him lead her out of the mansion.

X-X-X-X-X

Derek was still sitting outside the restaurant. The blonde had left at least a half an hour earlier, but his mark was still sitting at the same table. For a few minutes after the blonde left the man had seemed confused and dejected and even a little angry, but he had clearly composed himself again. Now it seemed like he was finally getting ready to head out, it was time for Derek to make his move. Carefully he started making his way over to the other side of the street. Remembering where his mark had come from earlier, he positioned himself just outside of the restaurant.

After a few more minutes the doors of the restaurant opened, and thankfully he was not disappointed. He knew what he had to do, it was a straightforward plan, for a straightforward mission, this shouldn't be too hard. Carefully he walked up to his mark, and forcefully bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir, I must have zoned out for a second. You ok?" He said while placing his hand on the man's shoulder for a brief moment, while moving his other hand to the man's side.

"Yeah, I'm fine." the other man said annoyed. He briskly removed Derek's hand, and walked off.

Derek waited for the other man to round the corner before pulling out his Ring Phone.

"Small secure."

"Director secure."

"Contact has been made." he said not being able to contain a small smile that was creeping onto his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Black Page**

Chuck was sitting in one of the chairs in The Cave, realising the possible importance of the data on the hard drive he was desperate to crack it. He had been going at it for a few hours now, and his progress seemed slow. He was desperate to break into it, to break through the protections, and get the information to Sarah. He needed to, he couldn't stand to fail, not with everything at stake. Not with everything that he had already lost.

He ran his hand through his unruly hair, and sighed in frustration, as he sat back trying to think of something new to try. He got up to get a new red bull from the small fridge in The Cave, which almost looked eerie being illuminated only by the computer screens that were giving off a small but smoothing light. Chuck didn't know better, he had pulled through so many all nighters studying or gaming, this was no different. The only difference were the stakes that were much higher.

He did enjoy the silence of working alone. For the first few hours Kayla and Morgan had held him company while Casey was upstairs eating hot pockets and watching some documentary. It had been fun, a little too much fun even, as Kayla seemed to fit in all right in the group. It was strange for him to see a girl that was not taken a back by Morgan, though he had to admit that Morgan's new attitude must have helped with that. After the initial shock of the beauty of Kayla he had even relaxed a little. He chuckled a little when he returned to his seat as he thought about how Morgan had been when he was dating Anna, he could still remember the early days of that relationship. Though he had been glad that it meant a little less intrusion on his life, and most importantly his time with Sarah.

Tonight though he had been glad for Morgan's presence. He was glad he could prevent Kayla from asking questions about Sarah. He had seen the curiosity peak in her eyes as soon as Casey had mentioned pulling another Walker. Without a doubt the questions she had during the mission would still be there. It wasn't that he specifically didn't want to talk about it with the young agent, it was just that it was still a sore subject for him. However he had already decided that if she would ask him a few questions he would answer them to the extent he could. There were just a few complications to talking about it with her. She was a spy after all, if he told her he started out as an asset, she would definitely want to know more. For now her knowing that part of the story just wasn't a good plan, even if she seemed to instil trust, but so had Jill. He would be glad when he could tell Kayla the truth about everything. It would definitely make things a little easier, and it would really open up the full range of possibilities that the team had.

He glanced at his watch, which caused him to let out a small groan. He had been going at it for four hours now, and he didn't seem to get anywhere. He took a bit gulp of his red bull as he started to focus on his work again. Needing to finally make some progress. If he couldn't get anywhere in the next hour, he would sent it to the analysts in Langley with a detailed account of what he had done with it so far, perhaps they could make sense of it. He just wanted this to be done so they would know what they would have to do next. Not knowing was always something that bothered him. It had always annoyed him back in his asset days when his handlers had left him out of meetings, which he was always sure were about him. He could just imagine Beckman ordering Agent Walker to handle the asset.

Annoyed by his thoughts he tried to shake them off, as he started thinking about the mission they had completed just hours earlier. It had been a simple mission, just a simple intelligence gathering mission, but Kayla had been as good as he had hoped she would be. He knew she had to be good, after all she was one of the best female CIA agents, but there is always the difference between paper and practice. Having now seen her in action, gave him new confidence that they would come out of this alive, and that they would win this war. Most importantly she had assured him she fit in with the team. He had been worried she would be some kind of Agent Forrest, but she was quite the opposite. It had been his main concern the team dynamic had to be preserved, and it had been. He had seen the same relief in her eyes after the mission had been completed. Seeing that same feeling reflected in her face had given him the needed assurance.

Focusing again on the screen he couldn't suppress the smile that was starting to spread across his face, he finally seemed to be making progress.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw was quietly sitting on his sofa in his loft. He had some classical music playing softly in the background, while he held a glass of red wine in his hand. It was how he loved to spent his nights, how he used to spent them with his wife. That was until the Ring had taken her from him, until the Ring had taken his life from him. Now the nightly ritual was one of solace and of memories. It was the time of the day he could still feel close to her, could still feel like a man that wasn't just out of vengeance, even if he himself knew that was a lie. It was the moment he could still feel like him.

Taking a sip of his wine, he thought back to what had happened at the restaurant. To what Walker had told him, to the look that had been in her eyes. Somehow it seemed different, there was something else there now. He remembered going to Burbank all those months before, on a DNI sanctioned mission, and the Agent he had found there had been nothing like the stories he had heard. She hadn't seemed the enforcer of legend. The enforcer the farm refers to, no she had seemed like a lost girl, but the woman that he had seen tonight seemed more determined. She still wasn't the agent of the stories he had heard, but at least now he knew she was still in there. He couldn't help but feel happy about that, he needed top agents to destroy the Ring, all the rest didn't matter.

Thinking back to the lost girl she had been in Burbank, he couldn't help but smirk a little. He had seen the tapes of what had happened in Prague, but he never would have guessed that a trained Agent like Walker would take things so hard. He would never have guessed that her operational use would be compromised because of the intersect. Personally he never understood why all the people seemed so taken with the lanky nerd. Especially when he came there, he seemed whiny, and incompetent. He was a lot of things, but a spy wasn't one of them. But now he was useful. And that was a gold star in his book, the intersect fully functional in the field, it was a dream come true for his fight against the Ring. Knowing that the intersect even completed his red test, was just icing on the cake, especially with the rift it had created between Walker and the Intersect. It just all came together.

He remembered first learning about the intersect being sent to a civilian, it had seemed like the definite end to the project. A civilian hosting the intersect was just unheard of. The turning point for his belief in him had been Prague. Shaw realised, if he had enough sense of duty to say no to a woman like Walker, to say no to someone the reports rumoured he had been in love with, perhaps there was enough sense of duty for him to become a real spy. Now he seemed to be just that, the perfect tool in the CIA's arsenal. Almost a dream weapon.

"Not much longer now darling." He muttered under his breath as he rested his head on the top of the back support, letting out a small breath of air as he settled himself even further. He hated to admit it, but his constant obsession had left him a little jaded, but he wouldn't stop, he could never stop.

He tried to relax a little, taking in the classical music trying to put his mind at ease. Trying to suppress the feelings that would cause him his nightmares. Trying to get to the point where he could go to bed and actually sleep for the first time in weeks. Ever since his wife had died he had been haunted by nightmares. Every time it was the same thing, a bridge, a shot, and him running but never reaching anything. It was like he was chasing air. Every time it only made him more anxious, more on his toes, more determined to destroy whoever it was that did this. No stone would be left unturned, he would get his vengeance. What he would after that, he had no idea.

It was something that he had started thinking about, ever since the DNI decided to allocate more resources to his crusade. It seemed like it would be a matter of time for the Ring to be destroyed. And the last few months they did make some head way. It wasn't like they had had their major breakthrough, it wasn't that they had found the director or the elders, but they had progressed. Capturing a few Ring phones had been hoped to be a break, but it hadn't been. It was encrypted a lot better than expected. So far it had only caused them trouble, when they lost a great agent like John Casey because of it. It was another thing he was happy about, the intersect forcing Beckman to allow him to take Casey. He hated to admit it, but the intersect had helped him out a lot.

But despite all of this, there was no future plan, or goals or missions, after the Ring all that was left was emptiness. It had been his, no it had been their dream to progress a few years through the ranks of the CIA, and then after that, perhaps try to settle down somewhere. His future had always been hung up on Eve, and without her, his future was a black page. One he would try to write on with the blood of those that had painted it black.

Sighing he broughth is glass back to his lips, intend of finishing his wine. He didn't want to think about any of this, he didn't want to be confronted with the future without her, he hadn't wanted that for five years, and tonight wasn't any difference. Gulping down the rest of his glass in one go, he lay down in the couch, trying to let the music sooth him to sleep. He thanked his lucky stars that he finally felt like he was dozing off, but before he really got to sleep he was alarmed by the sound of someone else's phone going off in his loft. Softly he rose to his feet, trying not to groan despite his fatigue, trying to follow the noise. He had followed it to his closet before the noise stopped.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, while pulling his gun out of his waistband. Quietly he removed the safety, and moved his hand towards the knob, keeping his gun pointed toward the area right in front of him. Getting ready to shoot whoever was in there, but as he yanked open the door, he saw to his relief and surprise that it was empty. For a second he thought he might have imagined it, until it started ringing again. Desperate to find the source of it, he started going through the pockets of all the clothing that was hanging in there, until he made it to the jacket he had been wearing earlier in the night. Slowly he removed a black phone. Taking another deep breath, he pressed the accept call button.

"Hello?" He said nervously, trying not to let the nerves seep into his voice.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah had been feeling good about herself ever since she left the restaurant. It had been such a relief to finally take some things in her hands, and to at least be blunt and honest about certain things. It had felt especially good to tell him off about him calling her Sam. Sam had been a name her mother had given her, a woman she did not want to be associated with. Her mother after all had been all too happy to abandon her and her father all those years ago. One day she had just taken her sister and got up and left, without even so much as a note. Even now that still stung. Once her mother had tried to reach out to her, tried to persuade her that her dad was no good. She didn't want to hear of it, in no small part because of how she had left.

But it hadn't just been about what that name represented for her, it had been about the mistake it had been to tell him that name. It had been one of the biggest mistakes she had made in the last few years. She had been mortified when Chuck barged into her hotel room, saying her birth name. He hadn't deserved to hear her telling that to Shaw, not after everything they had been through together, not after everything he had meant to her, everything he still meant to her. He should have been the one in that hotel room getting to know that information, not that empty agent Shaw. Even though he had tried to keep a brave face when he entered the room, she had seen the deep hurt flash in his eyes as he said her birth name. She couldn't deny that a part of her was glad that he was hurting, glad that he could feel what she felt in Prague, but that was really just a small part.

Ugh, she sighed disgusted as she turned down another path in the park. She had instantly gone there after leaving the restaurant. As soon as she had closed the doors of that place behind her, she had felt a smile spread across her face, she did feel good about that. It had been the first genuine smile in what seemed like forever. Still not able to shake the thought of the train wreck that she had once called a relationship, and the name reveal, she sighed again. She still wasn't sure why she had even told him that name to begin with. She thought it probably had to do with wanting some connection, how she came on the idea to try to connect with Shaw of all people was beyond her now. She might as well have tried to get emotionally and romantically connected to Casey, although the thought of that disgusted her almost as much as the thought of how she had been played like a sucker.

Reaching a familiar bench over looking a small pond, she sat down, running her hands over her face. Enjoying the cool evening breeze that was running over her skin, she tried to shake the thoughts of her past. Trying for a few moments to not think about Burbank, or the things that happened before that. Looking at the moon light glistening on the water in front of her, she felt some peace. She had done this a lot the first time she lived in this area, she had never forgotten this place, it was almost as relaxing as _their_ beach.

Realising there was so much still left to focus on, she tried to get her mind back to her secret mission. She wasn't sure if she made any progress tonight, though she had seen some shock and surprise in his eyes when she lashed out at him. She was glad that she had gotten to him, even if it was just a little. There was however no way of knowing if she would get him to talk more about it. Perhaps she could talk to Beckman again in the mean time, she thought to herself. If both wouldn't work, she could always try a more frontal approach with Shaw. Calling him out on some of the hunches she had, oh yeah she definitely had some ideas about what his reasons were to go to Burbank, she just needed him to confirm them. What she would do then, she had no idea, for now she just had to know.

Hearing some sounds around her, she looked up, only to find a young couple walking hand in hand, enjoying each others company. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two young lovers. It was still something unsettling for her to smile at something like that. She sighed as she ran her hand through her hair, as she realised she had changed more than she might realise herself.

Still following the young couple with her eyes, she was almost startled by the sound of an incoming message of her phone. Immediately her hopes went up that it was Chuck or Casey. She didn't want to admit it, but she had been worried most of the night about them. She couldn't help it, she still wanted her old partners to be safe and out of harms way, and she had been worried not to hear for so long from them. Even though she was aware that it was a simple relatively low risk mission, she knew how good Chuck was at attracting trouble. Looking at the phone, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, it was Chuck. Relief washed over her, he was safe, at least so it seemed. She didn't really know why it affected her this much, they both made their choice, but it was getting impossible to deny that those feelings still existed.

Opening the message, it brought some of the worry back, though it also triggered her agent side. The message read,

"Need meeting ASAP, contact me with time." Somehow she didn't like the sound of the message. Her fingers flew over the keys of her phone, telling him to be ready for a meeting in half an hour. She got up, giving one last glance at the pond, before hasting herself to her apartment.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was once again sitting in his seat at the conference table of the Cave. He had just woken up the rest of his team, much to their dismay. But that wasn't his problem right now, his mind was still pre-occupied by the information that he found on the drive they had recovered only hours earlier. It turned out that the Paris office had just been in time as it seemed, if they had been much later, this would have turned out worse than it already was. He sighed anxiously, watching the clock creep forward. He just wanted the meeting to start, and get working on what to do next.

He could hear the doors sliding open, and a few figures going down the stairs. Glancing away from the clock, he saw that it were Kayla and Casey, both didn't seem to be too happy about being dragged out of their beds that early. Both moved towards a chair, he could see the scowl on Casey's face, while Kayla just looked tired.

"This better be good Carmichael." Casey said as he sat down.

"Actually Casey, it's bad, it's really bad." He quipped.

Casey rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You know what I mean moron."

"Relax Casey, I'm sure Chuck would much rather sleep than be down here, just like us. Actually he probably is in a lot more need of sleep than us right now." Kayla said eyeing the man sitting next to her.

Chuck gave her a small smile in gratitude, he really wasn't in the mood to start dealing with Casey and his antics.

"What's keeping the other moron?" Casey started again gruffly. Earning him a glare from his two partners.

"What?" He said trying to act innocent.

But before his partners could start again, the doors opened again. Chuck glanced over to the top of the stairs, and he could Morgan still slightly wobbily on his legs from being sleepy almost stumbling down the stairs.

"I appreciate you including me in everything Chuck, but you sure this couldn't wait till we were all well rested?" Morgan said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on buddy, you should know that I wouldn't have called his meeting if it wasn't necessary." He stated slightly annoyed.

"I know Chuck, but I also know how you can get if you are a little enthusiastic about something. I mean think about when we were going to see the new TRON movie, you were all hyped up." He said shrugging.

Chuck sighed. "I know, but you can ask Casey here, when it comes to the spy stuff I always love to avoid things like this."

Casey just let out a small grunt, while Kayla eyed the three men in the room with curiosity in her eyes. It seemed like she really wanted to ask a few questions, but she didn't get the chance as they were interrupted by the sound of a connection being made. As they saw a blonde appearing on the screens.

The first thing Chuck noticed was that the room she was sitting in was a different one she had been in, in their earlier meeting. It looked like it was in her home. He couldn't help but feel a little excited about seeing her Washington apartment. He instantly chastised himself, forcing himself to keep his mind on the task at hand.

"Good evening team, or I guess it's morning for you guys." She began giving them a small smile, with what seemed to be a little bit of relief on her face. "It's good to see you all still in one piece."

"Thank you ma'am" Kayla, Chuck and Casey chided, while Morgan muttered "Thanks Sarah" The bearded man seemed taken a back a little by his team mates.

"Ok Agent Carmichael, I take it you have a good reason to call this meeting so early." She said with a knowing smile, which was quickly replaced by her cool agent demeanour.

"Yes I have. I cracked into the information we recovered last night." He said with a professional voice, while glancing over to Casey and Kayla for a second before continuing. "It seems like you were right to sent us out on such short notice. There is an important weapon deal going down in Naples tonight, well tonight our time, so that is tomorrow night for you. The details of the weaponry are a bit sketchy, there are some EMP devices, some basic stuff like explosive devices, and something that is listed as special order. I've tried to find out more about this special order, but there was nothing in the files about it. Anyway, the deal is going down around midnight, in the port, dock 7." He finished, eyes intent on the woman on the screen. She didn't seem to flinch ones, but he could see the worry flash in her eyes, even though she was on a screen.

He could see her thinking for a few seconds before she spoke. "Okay. First off team good job on recovering such important information."

"Thank you ma'am" they all chided again, even Morgan joining in this time.

"As for the rest, we are going to have to retrieve this special order. Normally I would suggest just plant some explosives and destroy the weaponry before it reaches The Ring, but we need to know what they are up to. So fly to Naples this after noon, and prevent this deal from going through. Once you've retrieved the material we'll have them sent to Langley for analyses."

"Yes ma'am."

"Ok if that was all, you're dismissed." She said softly, before ending the connection a second later.

Chuck looked at Casey for a second before speaking. "Casey you set up our stay in Naples, just use the standard covers. I need some sleep or I'll be useless tonight." He said with a slight smirk at the though of annoying Casey by letting him stay up for the rest of the day.

Casey grunted in annoyance. "Let's meet back down here in say five hours, so we can get things organised." Chuck said with a wary smile. With that he rose from his chair, determined to finally get some sleep.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw had been looking at the strange phone for at least an hour. The phone call hadn't quite been the kind of conversation he had expected to have when he had gone out earlier in the night. In honesty it was the most unexpected conversation he had, had in his life. There were so many questions he had right now, he just wasn't sure on how to get answers. Still not entirely sure on what to do about the conversation, he replayed it in his head for what seemed like the hundredth time.

_"Hello?" He said nervously, trying not to let the nerves seep into his voice._

_"Ah, good you finally pick up. We were almost scared you discarded the phone or something. At least we knew you wouldn't be busy with the blonde." the unknown man said obviously smirking._

_"Who is this? And what do you want?" Shaw asked with a definite edge on his voice. _

_"All in good time Daniël, all in good time. For now all you need to know is, we have information about your wife."_

_"What do you mean about my wife?" he said with his voice now slightly raising. _

_"I mean we know the truth about Eve Shaw, Daniël. And I have to say it was quite interesting to watch. I'm certain it would change your perspective a little." he said sounding amused._

_"Who are you, and who do you work for?" he asked getting more annoyed by the second. _

_"Use the speed dial when you are ready to learn the truth about your wife's death Special Agent Shaw. I'm sure we can work something out. I'll be waiting for your call." And with that he ended the call._

And still after thinking about it, he didn't know what to do about it. Not when he didn't know who the people were that called him. Oh he had a hunch, he suspected it was The Ring, and if it was, it was likely a trap. But what if it wasn't the Ring? Or what if it was The Ring and there really was more to his wife's death? Or what if it some other organisation just out to get him? He needed to find out the truth, but there just didn't seem anyway how. He had studied his wife's death for years, nothing ever seemed to indicate something other than The Ring orchestrating her death. What if the battle he had fought for all those years had been for nothing?

Ultimately he needed to know, he needed to be certain. There only seemed to be one way, so with his hand slightly trembling he moved his fingers to dial.

"I'm ready to learn more." He said with steely resolve.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla was sitting on a comfortable leather chair, in the hotel room that they would be staying in for the duration of this mission. They had driven to town in the neutral black SUV that came with the cover, as they needed a good reliable car in Naples. Even though she couldn't help but feel slightly anxious and even a little nervous about the mission, she couldn't help but be glad with the perks that came with being on this assignment. She had almost gotten used to low budget facilities over the last few months, especially on her missions in Morocco, but now this was the life. This was something she could get used to. As far as she was concerned, perks like this were an added bonus to an assignment that was already looking up.

Looking over to the other side of the room, she could see Casey and Chuck discussing some things at a small table near the window. Both men seemed at ease, and completely like it was just another day at the office, but she knew they would be feeling the same hint of nervousness she was already feeling. Or at least she hoped they were. It was something that always came to her when she had to go on a mission, she always felt some nervousness, she could never help it. Thankfully she had been taught to hide any emotion, and especially fear and anxiousness. Emotion is the enemy, at least that was what the instructors at the farm always hammered into the recruits. She still thought that emotions were what made her human, even if she had to hide them all the time to survive. She didn't want to lose that part of her, she would cling onto them, no matter the costs.

She couldn't help but feel happy at the team she was assigned in. They were a somewhat odd bunch. Yes Casey was a typical agent, but he much rather grunt than talk, which wasn't typical for the smooth talking agents that she usually encountered. Carmichael was something different. He wasn't the typical macho type agent, well not most of the time anyway. She could sense the shift in him when he went on missions, it was almost like he was a different person then. There was something honest in those eyes, something soft, it was almost as if he wouldn't hurt a fly. It was impossible that he didn't, after all he had to have passed his red test. Still those eyes seemed so innocent, and even a little troubled. He was a hard man to figure out.

However the most unexpected of the team had been Morgan Grimes. She really had no idea how that man had ever gotten in touch with the CIA. He was a goofy, nerdy character, and was absolutely nothing like most people involved with the CIA. Even analysts tended to be serious, and in the short time she had known Grimes it seemed like he was nothing like that. It almost seemed like he didn't like to take anything serious, other than his loyalty to Carmichael. It was kind of unsettling to meet a man like Morgan to her. She could see the three men in the plane with her, had a history, and a deep loyalty to each other, even if someone like Casey pretended like he didn't care sometimes.

Taking her eyes off the men at the other side of the room she looked over to her side, to see Morgan twisting his thumbs, and with an intense look in his eyes. It was almost as if he was already on the mission. Slightly concerned she placed a hand on his shoulder before talking.

"Morgan, you okay?" She said softly, as he almost looked startled that she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh yeah I'm fine, it's just..." He let his voice trail as he didn't finish the sentence.

"It's just what?" She asked curiously, she knew this had to be good.

"Fine, I'm just nervous about tonight's mission, I just don't want to mess anything up." He said slightly embarrassed

She looked at him softly, surprised by his candour. "And there I was thinking you were worried about being in a room with me." She said trying to lighten the mood a little.

He just looked at her surprised by what she had just said, and like she was saying something ridiculous.

"Look Morgan, it's okay to be nervous. I think we all are a little nervous ourselves, but we just have to have faith in us as a team." She said with an honest but soft voice.

"I know, it's just I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something goes wrong because of me."

"Well I know something that might help get your mind off things. Can I ask you a question?" She said with a small smile.

"Umm sure." He said looking at her carefully.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I was just wondering, how did a guy like you get involved with the CIA. I mean you are nothing like the regular Agents/Analysts." She saw a slightly confused and hurt look on his face, so she continued. "Not that, that is a bad thing per say, but most analysts are pretty much as serious and compulsive as agents." She could see his face relax a little.

"Very simple actually, I met Chuck there." He said pointing his finger to the man at the other side. "and because of it I kinda got involved with The Ring. Chuck just said we can either put you somewhere safe and who knows what will happen or if you can ever return, or you can come with me as an analyst. So here I am." He said, not taking his eyes of the curly haired man.

"I see." She said pensively, this was interesting information. Morgan must have stumbled on something big if they just did this to keep him out of the hands of The Ring. She couldn't help but wonder what it was. She looked at Morgan with an intense gaze "So what was so important that you had to be kept safe?"

He seemed a little taken a back by the situation, as he kept silent for a few seconds, trying to avoid her gaze. Ultimately he spoke, "I'm not entirely sure." He muttered unconvincingly under his breath. She could see by his body language that there was more to it, a lot more. But she could hardly torture it out of her own team mate. She thought that perhaps Carmichael would be willing to talk a little more.

She looked over to Chuck and saw that he was just staring out of the window absentmindedly. She looked back at Morgan "I'm going to talk to Chuck for a second." he just nodded in response. Within a few steps she reached him, and sat down on the chair next to him. He glanced at her for a second before resuming his previous activity.

"Hey Chuck, can I ask you a question?" She said enthusiastically.

"If you can't resist, go ahead." He said almost absentmindedly.

She really wanted to know more about how Carmichael had entered the CIA, but she had a hunch that the real juicy part would be what happened between him and Walker. Perhaps that would even play into the reason of Morgan being here. "I was wondering what happened between you and Walker?"

He looked at her, with some pain in his eyes. "Basically, we just never got it right. I mean we either got our lines crossed, or the timing was off. I suppose it didn't help that we never really communicated well enough."

"So what, you two never were like an item or something?"

"Not a real one no." He said, leaving enough to conclude that there had been something.

"But you love her." She stated.

He nodded. "More than anything. And you know it's still kinda fresh, and I've been fighting to keep my head into this assignment. You guys depend on me, just as I depend on you all." He said with a determined look on his face, but still with a sad voice.

Kayla nodded, "I see. How did you guys become partners anyway?"

She could see him look at her, obviously thinking about weither or not he was going to say it. Ultimately he spoke. "She was assigned as my handler. I designed something, and for a while there were these groups after me. And she was sent to protect me. Ultimately I got forced into the field a few times, and Beckman decided to get me proper training. So here I am."

"So wait, one of the best spies in the world became your handler? That must have been some thing you designed." She said with some disbelief in her voice.

"Actually, Langston Graham had decided she needed something a little more low key after her old partner went rogue. Or at least we thought he did."

She wanted to ask him more, but he beat her to the punch. "So how did you get into the CIA?" He said looking at her with curiosity on his face.

"Oh they recruited me at college. I was active in martial arts, and mastered in languages, and apparently they liked what they saw."

"Interesting, so is that where you learned Italian?" He said, now looking a little more eager to talk to her.

"Yeah, I've always loved this country. Especially the food." She said smiling.

He was about to speak again, but Casey interrupted. "Carmichael, we better get going. We still need to take a closer look at the docks." Chuck just gave the older man a short nod, before getting up to leave. Kayla was left wondering what was going on with this Carmichael. Walker his handler, that was very intriguing information, and like a real spy, she wanted to know why.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was looking at Beckman's secretaries with amazement, they seemed so proficient. It was time for her daily meeting with the General, though she didn't always see the point to it. Especially since she had just started working there a few days earlier. In fact, if she didn't want to talk to the General herself, she might just have cancelled the whole meeting, and gone do something useful with her time. But the General had been determined so there she was waiting again. She was starting to miss being in the field, she wasn't sure she was made for this whole nine to five idea.

But it wasn't just the work that was the problem. No there were even aspects of it that were ok, but she was starting to feel kind of lonely and isolated. She had expected to come here, and start something new and fresh, and at least have someone there to trust and built on. Now she knew that it had been a mistake to think that. The person she had expected to be at her side in this one, wasn't just isolating her professionally, he was also untrustworthy, and it taken her far too long to really figure it out. And that annoyed her to no end, but it also made her determined to get to the bottom of things. It was such a far cry from her old team, from the trust and companionship.

She wondered if Beckman would say something. She doubted it, actually she was quite certain she wouldn't, but she hoped she would. It would help her feel more at ease if she knew what was going on. The reluctance of the older woman to say something was just another reason to be suspicious.

Slightly nervous she looked at her watch. It was still a few more hours before her old team was going into a dangerous mission, and she couldn't help but worry about them. She had wanted to tell herself that it was just because of them being her old partners, but she knew that was a lie. Again she felt relieved that the team had a good replacement, but she wouldn't stop worrying, not till they were all safe. Not till _he_ was safe. Though professionally, she also couldn't help but be worried about this 'special order'. It must be something big. It had to be important. She just hoped it was, she wouldn't know how to react if she found out that one of her people died on a pointless mission. The idea of losing someone over a shipment of EMP's and Assault rifles didn't seem like a happy one.

She heard someone call her name, which caused her to look up. She saw one of the secretaries motion her inside. She gave the young woman a quick nod, still being impressed by her abilities to do a million things at ones, and started making her way to the door. She reached out for the knob, and opened the door. She saw the General sitting behind her desk, who immediately put a file down upon seeing the agent that entered the room. "Agent Walker have a seat." she said polite, but with the ever commanding voice.

Sarah did as told, and sat down quickly. Once seated, she waited patiently for the smaller woman to speak. She didn't have to wait long.

"So Walker, how are things going?" The General began with a neutral voice.

"Fine General, we are making some progress in several places in the world." She said with a professional voice.

"Good, I'm expecting results Walker. If you and Shaw don't deliver, I won't even have to reassign you anymore, because none of us will be around anymore to enjoy one of our less cosy assignments."

Sarah sighed internally, like she didn't know this already. "I'm aware of that general. We are actually conducting a few operations in Europe right now, trying to cut supplies to The Ring. One of the teams is intercepting an unknown shipment, it's so classified that The Ring don't even let one of their main suppliers know what it is. We are hopeful we can get these to Langley for analysis. We are also optimistic about having an in with this said supplier." She said looking at the woman in front of her intently.

"I want to be informed about the status of this mission as soon as you learn more Walker. Depending on what is in there this could be the break we are waiting for."

"Naturally General." She said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I do have to say though General, things would work better if we were all on the same page."

The General narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean Walker, on the same page? I think we are on the same page."

"When it comes to The Ring, it would seem like we are General. But when it comes to certain other things, I have to say that I don't agree." She said still looking intently at the woman in front of her.

"And what would those other things be?" The General asked annoyed.

"For starters Shaw sees me more as a servant than as a partner. Secondly, either you General, and agent Shaw don't trust me, or you are keeping something from me that you are not that proud of. Either way, we are not on the same page one bit." She said looking challengingly at the General.

The General sighed, shifting a little in her seat. "We've discussed this before Walker, you don't need to know. And if that's all you want to discuss, you're dismissed"

"General, I real,-" She started but the smaller woman interrupted, "Walker you're getting close to insubordination if you keep this up." She said with a threatening voice. "I'd think you'd be wise to leave."

"Fine" She huffed, as she rose to her feet, all the while glaring at the woman in front of her. "Rest assured General I will find out." She said with a threatening voice as she closed the door behind her.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw was driving down the interstate, hands clutched on the wheel tight enough to make his knuckles turn slightly white. Not sure on anything anymore, he had been off his game through out the day. Even when he was in a meeting with Beckman he couldn't help but just think about, what if these people were responsible to some extent for Eve's death? What if I've been fighting the wrong people all along? What if I work today to destroy the very organisation that I'll be helping tomorrow? He was so absentminded that even Beckman had noticed, and had asked him about it. He had just shrugged it off, pretending to be fine, and to just be thinking about some intel he had gotten a little earlier. Even if the CIA was behind murdering his wife, he would need to keep appearances up. After all, nothing spells a bigger disaster than a double agent.

He had actively waited for the meeting co-ordinates all day. When he had finally gotten them he had stormed out of his office, not bothering to tell anyone where he was going. How could he anyway? What was he going to do with a CIA partner, if there was more to it? And what was he going to tell Beckman? Besides, a tail on his vehicle would certainly be noticed, and might have gotten them all killed. Not that he was happy about the idea of going in alone, he sure as hell didn't disregard the idea of it being a trap. This was why emotions get you killed, he thought to himself. Though in this case it might just get everyone else killed.

With each mile he travelled he could feel his gut twisting a little. He was getting so nervous about this, that he even considered just turning his car around and going back to his office. Every time he allowed such thoughts to creep in his mind, he saw a flash of her face, and he knew why he had to do this. He owed her everything, he owed her to avenge her death. He might have failed to protect her from whoever it was that did this, but he wasn't going to fail her another time. He just hoped it wasn't the CIA that did this. He just hoped five years of hatred hadn't been aimed at the wrong people. He just hoped that even the last part of his old life wouldn't be destroyed as well.

Keeping his gaze on the road in front of him, he heard the distinct ringtone of his phone. Reaching over to the passenger seat, he took the phone of it and glanced at the caller ID. With a sigh he saw it was Walker, "What does she want now." he muttered. For a moment he wasn't sure if he should pick it up, but he knew she would get suspicious if he didn't answer, and she was already suspicious enough. That had been made clear enough the night before. Ultimately he had little choice, so he accepted the call.

"Shaw secure" He said with a neutral voice.

"Walker secure" He heard from the other side of the line.

"Shaw we need to discuss something, where the hell are you?" She said with an annoyed voice.

"I'm out, I needed to meet with someone."

"I see." She said pensively. "Anyone I know?"

"Actually, you don't. But I have to go Walker, whatever you needed to discuss can wait." He said with a cold voice, as he immediately ended the call.

No matter what she had wanted to discuss, nothing was more important to him than his wife. Nothing else mattered.

X-X-X-X-X

Team Carmichael were hunched over a crate that was functioning as a table. They had set up in one of the containers of the outskirts of the docks, spread out over the crates were several surveillance photo's, a map of the area, and Walker had even sent them a few sattelite photo's. A big problem for them was that they still had no idea where on dock7 the deal was going to happen. Nor did they know anything about enemy strength. For now they would just have to play it as they went along. But Chuck was certain that the sixteen men tactical squad that Walker had also arranged would come in handy.

Chuck couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about this mission. Ultimately this mission would probably involve some gunplay, which was something he had always been uncomfortable with. But there were so many uncertainties to this situation, so many things that could go wrong, he didn't like it at all. Not to mention the fact that the unknown cargo had to be captured without any damage to it. Basically meaning they had to go in hard and fast. Not giving the enemy operatives a chance to sabotage anything, and hopefully enabling them to capture a few of them. For now though, they would let Borelli's men walk if they could, making certain that they would not break their cover, but also decreasing the amount of enemy guns pointed at them. They would have to investigate him further, and find out how much he really knew about whatever was in those containers.

They had played with the idea of just taking them all out, but they were afraid that someone that might have been at the party could ID them to one of Borelli's other people. It was just not worth the pay out, as these were likely low level grunts. Besides they weren't certain that Borelli himself wasn't going to be there. That would dry a possible information well before all was said and done. All in all, unless the situation would go south, they would just wait it out. Looking at the people around him, he could see they had all studied the information they had, and were now waiting for him to speak. He was grateful he had already discussed this privately with Casey.

"Okay, so the situation is simple." He started, looking between the people that were surrounding him, which also included the men of the tactical team, "We need to stop this drop. The problem is we have no idea where exactly the drop is going down, or how many people the enemy has. All we know is that it is going down somewhere on these docks. So we are going to put Casey up here." He said with a serious voice, while pointing at one of the cranes on the pictures. "He's going to be our eyes on this one. No one makes a move until he gives the word. Whatever happens tonight, it's his call. If he calls for us to go in hot, we go in hot." He finished looking intently from person to person. They all seemed to understand and gave him a nod, so he continued. "The rest of us will close of the docks. Kayla will take a group of 4 down the northern part of the docks, another group of 4 will go through the middle, and I'll take 4 from the south. We will wait for the drop to go down, and if we see the chance we'll let a group of them walk, before we make our move." Seeing the questioning looks from some of the men he clarified. "We need to protect our cover."

A few man seemed to want to speak up, but Chuck continued not giving them a chance to talk. "Okay, we are going to position ourselves, here, here and here." He stated pointing at different places on the map. "It is absolutely vital that the cargo does not get damaged. Anyone that willingly does something to damage the cargo, get's a special treatment from the Major over there." He said while the Major glared at the people in the container. "So any questions?"

To his relief things seemed to stay silent, though he could see the intense looks on all the faces that were surrounding him. For once a part of him was glad Sarah wasn't around, this was the type of mission that could get ugly, and although he had always felt reassured by her presence, and the fact that he knew for certain she could take care of herself, he also didn't want her in danger. It was the feeling that had always driven him to get out of the car, even though it had always scared him to death to do so. For now, her being safe was a comfort, though it was bad enough to have his team in danger. All these people around him, and he himself too would possibly have to fight for their lives tonight, and he knew that unlike all the previous times that there was gunplay, no blonde agent was going to rescue him. He would have to fend for himself.

"Ok we better start taking in positions." Casey said breaking the tense silence.

All the people started making their way into position. But before they went their separate ways, Kayla turned to face him. "Hey Chuck, what is up with you and all the tranq guns?" She said sounding amused, while looking up and down his tactical gear.

"I've just never really liked guns, well technically I have this thing against bullets." He said with a small smirk.

She just shook her head in disbelief, before she turned to go her own way.

Slowly, and as quiet as possible they started moving in position. Chuck could feel his heart beating slightly faster than usual, and the palm of his hands becoming slightly moist, as they made their way to rows of containers to their position. He couldn't help the ominous feeling that crept over him. Still he moved on, letting his eyes dart around, trying to constantly take in his surroundings. It had been one of the first things Casey and Sarah had taught him, and it served him well. Usually it just helped him find a good solution to problems, but at times it saved him from danger. Right now, he hoped it would help him do both. As always he felt like he was freaking out just a little, and he started praying for his team to be safe.

Having reached their position he spoke into his headset "Alpha in position."

It didn't take long for the rest of the teams, and Casey to sound of as well. Now the waiting game was going to start. It was something he had never been good at, not in his old life, and definitely not since he became part of the spy world. Part of the problem in the spy life was his nervousness, he just wanted to get it over with, resolve the situation, and try to feel a little more comfortable. Right now he had to channel his inner Carmichael. So he focused himself on the objectives at hand, he focused himself on protecting Ellie, and Devon, on the cost of failure, and ultimately he thought of _her_, only for a second as he took a deep breath. As he did so, he felt more determined, more ready to face whatever was going to happen.

Quietly they waited for what seemed like hours, tension still filling the air, even though only ten minutes past before their communication lines cracked a little, before Morgan's voice interrupted the silence.

"Video surveillance has two black SUV's approaching the Docks." He said with a tense voice.

"Roger that." The gruff voice of the Major responded.

Chuck looked at the men that were with him, the intensity was visible on the faces of the men that were with him. Softly he spoke "Ok guys, get ready to move."

The men looked at him from their crouched position, giving him a short nod, once again checking their weapons. Taking the safeties off. All waiting for Casey to break the silence again.

"So far we have twenty enemy agents." He heard a familiar gruff voice say.

"Oh shit." He heard the same voice muttered, only moments before all hell seemed to break lose on the other side of the docks. "Shots fired, shots fired, move in now." He heard someone shout over the communications.

Chuck and the four men with him immediately rose to their feet, and started moving towards the commotion, that seemed to have died down. "Casey what's going on?"

"The ring just executed Borelli's men so it seems. 10 bogeys left. I'll open fire again as soon as you are close."

"Morgan you see anything on the camera's?" He asked quietly while looking around him to make sure no one would get the jump on them.

"Entrance is clear, they seem to be disposing the bodies in one of the containers." He said, now clearly fighting to keep his voice under control.

Closing the gap between their original position and the drop point, seemed to take an eternity. Chuck couldn't help but feeling more anxious with every step he took. This was again something new for him, and he felt uncomfortable doing it.

"Alpha check your position. You're about 10yards from the objective." He heard Casey say. Immediately they took cover behind a few containers, and started scanning the area.

"Bravo Check position." It sounded again over the radio, followed only seconds later by "Charlie check your position." He heard Casey say, in what was his most concentrated voice.

"Ok, I'm going to open fire, as soon as I do, you guys move in."

The wait between those words, and the shot they were waiting for, seemed like it was never ending. Chuck could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his hands were almost slippery from the moist that had gathered on them, and he could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His breathing was slightly heavy, and he could hear that some of the men with him shared his sentiments. Only seconds later, he heard the shot ringing through the darkness, breaking the silence, immediately followed by screams and shouting, and another shot coming from around the same position.

"Damn it, Move!" He heard the Major shout with an annoyed voice.

Steadying himself, he could see his men darting off into the direction of the objective. Shots still flying over them, he soon followed after them. Within a few steps his men reached the outskirts of a small clearing and opened fire themselves. Knowing he would need to find another entry way if he wanted to help out, he turned around and started looking for one.

Reaching the corner they had come from he turned right, speeding through the rows of containers that were aligned on both sides of him, only small spaces between them. Picking up the pace slightly, he contacted Morgan. "Morg do you have me on camera?"

"I see you Chuck, you are almost behind them." Morgan responded in a second.

Realising he almost reached where he needed to be, he ran on about ten more yards, before taking another turn to head back north. As he kept on moving he could hear the shouts and shots becoming louder. Thinking he reached where he needed to be, he turned left again, slowly taking position behind a blue container. He took out his tranq gun and took a quick peek. He could see that several men had been hit, three seemed to be wounded, while another two seemed to have been killed.

Canvasing the situation, he tried to decide what was the most important target. He saw several men taking cover behind a few barrels and others were carefully peeking past a few corners. Momentarily he wasn't sure what to do, until one of the Ring Agents shouted an order he couldn't quite make out. "Got you now" He muttered as he carefully took aim with his tranq gun. Firing his first dart, it almost seemed like things slowed down, but it still seemed like in no time at all the Agent started collapsing under the effects of the dart. Before he could think, he tried firing another one, but it slammed into one of the containers next to one of the agents, alerting him to his presence.

The Agent spinned on his feet, and immediately began firing in his direction. Chuck barely made it back into cover, hearing the bullets fly past, and cursing himself under his breath. "Not a bright idea this Chuck." he muttered to himself. From time to time he tried to peek around the corner to immediately be greeted by a quick burts of bullets flying his way, forcing him to fire a few darts blindly at the direction the shots were coming from.

"Casey, I'm pinned down behind the Ring Agents." He said into his headset with a slightly raised voice. He could now really feel his heart racing in his chest, as he pushed his back against the container he was hiding behind.

"Roger that, Moron." He heard the older man say with a very annoyed and gruff voice, as if he wanted to tear him a new one.

"I know Casey." He said rolling his eyes. "Just help me get out of here."

"How about you try to think next time you act." The other man snided.

He stayed in hiding for another five minutes, with regularity he would hear shouts and shots being fired. He constantly tried to keep himself focused, keeping his ears trained to see if someone was approaching. He couldn't help but wonder how many of their people had been hit, though he tried to supress his worries, it wasn't really in him. To his relief Casey's voice once again broke the silence. "Alpha, Bravo move onto the objective."

Slowly he started looking around the corner again, only to see limp bodies, and quite a bit of blood. He was thankful this wasn't his first time to see dead bodies. Despite that he couldn't help but feel uneasy as he approached the area, still looking around him frantically. He could see several wary looking figures approaching from the other side. As they came closer he could see the grim looks on their faces, but other then the CIA personnel there wasn't anyone moving. The Bravo teamleader approached him.

"You okay?" he asked with a low voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Anyone hurt?" Chuck replied with concern in his voice.

"Three men got hit in their limps, and one got hit in the vest. All seem to be allright." The men answered him.

"Good, good. Now let me have a look at this cargo." He stated with relief in his voice, making his way past the teamleader towards the container.

Opening the doors of the container, he saw a wide collection of boxes and crates. Most seemed familiar as weapon crates like he had seen them before, both in the CIA bases and on previous missions. There were quite a big number of them. There were also a few black crates labeled X, he couldn't help but feel that those contained the Special Order. He looked around him, and saw a crowbar on top of one of the crates. Wiggling the crowbar in between the small gap between the top and the side of the crate, he forced it open. What he saw, caused his jaw to drop in shock slightly, before it triggered the flash. Coming out of the flash, he was relieved to notice he was alone. He needed to talk to Casey.

"Casey we got a problem." He said with a low voice.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw had just woken up groggily in a mostly dark room. Upon arriving at the rendez vous point someone had jumped him, and hit him on the back of his head with what seemed to be the back of a gun. He was starting to slightly freak out, being disorientated in this dark room, he couldn't help but feel like this would be bad news. The only things that helped put him at ease a little were the fact that he didn't seem to be tied up or anything. Shakily he rose back to his feet, dusting of his clothes, trying to make out anything in the room. All he could see was a small part of some screen, which was lighted by a small spot that was hanging above it.

Without any warning the screen turned on, and started to show some footage. It were images that he had seen before, in fact he had shot them himself. It was a video with footage of his wife, looking happy, smiling and laughing. It had been a good day for them, but now seeing it here he wanted to yell, scream and shout, but he knew it would be useless, so he just stood there frozen in place like a statue. The happyness of the footage didn't last long, it seemed like it was only there to taunt him, as they switched to the Bridge he had visited so often. He could see her walking down it, and bending down to pick something up. Moments later a blonde figure appeared, gun in hand, aiming it at her, aiming it at his wife, at his future, at his dreams. She squeezed the trigger once, firing a single round in her chest. The blonde figure turned around, revealing a face he was all too familiar with, the face of his partner Sarah Walker.

He could feel a cold and numb feeling come over him, as he kept staring at the screen that was now on a loop constantly showing his wife being shot. Not because of the person that had done it, but because of what it represented. It meant that all of his work, five years of his life had been for nothing. It meant that the CIA his career had been for nothing, and that they had betrayed him. It meant he would write on the black pages of his future with the blood of all those involved with the CIA rather than with those of the Ring. Still looking at the constantly played footage, he couldn't take it anymore. "Turn it off!" he shouted, but there was no response. "Stop This!" He cried out again, but there was still no answer.

They kept him in that room with those images for ten minutes, he knew what they were trying to do, but he knew they didn't need to. He had already made up his mind, it was his right to go for vengeance, it was his right to go after them. He would destroy those that did this, and he knew where to start. After those ten minutes the door opened revealing a short figure, that spoke, "So Daniël now you know the truth what are you going to do?" He asked him with a british accent, and an amused voice, clearly enjoying the state of his once adversary.

"Do you still want the intersect to destroy the CIA?" Shaw asked the man, who seemed a little bit surprised by the question.

"Of course Daniël" He said with a grin slowly taking over his face, replacing the surprise.

"Good, you help me get Walker, and I'll get you both the human intersect, and the intersect computer." He said with an edge in his voice, and a gleam in his eyes.

The other man's grin widened, as he just nodded his head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Realization**

The soft clicking of a woman's heels was audible throughout the stale white room. It was the only sound interrupting the constant typing and the occasional beep coming from the equipment the analysts were using to analyse the various objects that were spread out over the lab. Despite the sound being horrendously out of place, none of the analysts dared to look up at the source of it. They had been working on analyzing the parts for the last few days, ever since the high priority shipment came in, and she had been here regularly ever since. Most didn't even know what they were looking into, all they were certain of was that it was top priority, all their other work had been postponed, they had to get to the bottom of this.

Annoyed by the lack of progress of the people around her she glanced at her phone again, still expecting a message from Shaw, but somehow he hadn't been around much these last few days. She couldn't help but feel like there was something off about his absence. In all the time she had known him he had never even considered taking some time for himself, so to now have him so absent after what could be such an important find was odd to say the least. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

Looking at her analysts she felt somewhat annoyed, every second they took was a second lost in this all too important game. Game, more a struggle of life and death. If the Ring would get the time to complete this, even worse if they had completed this, things would not look in their advantage. As such she had not been able to focus on much else in these last few days. And in a way she had been thankful for it, it had been a good distraction from her other concerns. Though she had most definitely not forgotten about her personal mission.

She saw the head analyst glancing back at her nervously for just a second before returning to his conversation with a few of his co-workers. She knew that her presence might be making them a little nervous, like Beckman used to influence her, but she had never been much for waiting patiently. She just wanted to get the next part of the plan moving, and she needed them to finish whatever they were doing. So far she had refrained from asking questions since she had arrived today, but if they wouldn't come up with something fast she wouldn't be able to control herself any longer. It were moments like this that she missed Chuck in a professional light. Even if his methods seemed out of the ordinary his work on things like this was exemplary.

Still keeping her eyes on the short, slightly overweight man with greasy hair, she noticed that he seemed somewhat relieved about something. His small smile was a definite tell, although the nerves still remained. It surprised her how jumpy and nervous these guys were, she wasn't sure if it was her being the boss, or her being her, or just their lack of social skills with anyone that wasn't a nerd, but they never seemed at ease. At least none of them tried to hit on her creepily like Jeff and Lester she thought to herself.

Anxiously she kept on pacing through the room, occasionally checking to see how much time had passed by. Every time there was a little disappointment that the time didn't seem to move along a little faster. Turning around again she saw she had now spent an hour in the lab that day. She would give them five more minutes before she would start asking questions. Patience being something she had never been good at, not even in the days that she was on the road with her dad.

Another three minutes past without much happening, except for an occasional look from one of the analysts, but she could see that they were looking a little bit more cheerful than the past few days. It was something that gave her hope that they had finally finished what they were supposed to work on. If it were any other device she wouldn't have made a problem of it taking this long, but this was to important. Not wanting to wait any longer she walked up to the head analyst.

"So how close are we to cracking this thing?" She said trying not to sound to stern as she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Actually we are just finishing up." He said not taking his eyes of the project he had been working on, even if she had noticed him doing it regularly to eye her.

"Well then, what is the verdict?" She said now with an annoyed voice.

"It seems like…" He started rummaging through some things, "that they are nowhere near getting this thing functional. There are some basic design flaws that some of us could even notice without any detailed knowledge. Next to a few very obvious hardware flaws there are simple software mistakes, and it seems like they are a long way off completing this thing." He said only granting her a brief glance, something that would have annoyed her were circumstances slightly different. Now though the great news he was giving, and the importance of the work he was doing were making her forget about his slight lack of respect.

"That's good. I expect your report on my desk within the hour. I need to discuss this with General Beckman, and the teams at hand." She said as she started leaving. As she almost reached the doors she turned back around. "By the way guys, good job so far, thanks for the effort." She stated with a small smile. She was reciprocated with a few nods, and a few creepy looks, but it left her unphased. This was the news they needed, this seemed to buy them enough time to get to the bottom of this. This gave her time to shift some of her focus to what the hell Shaw was doing.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was slowly circling the man in front of him, eyeing him carefully as they kept up the dance they had been performing for the last thirty minutes. His own breathing was slightly heavy and erratic, and his body was tender, and sore in some places. Mostly the spots where the gruff man that was standing in front of him had hit him. The other man seemed completely unphased.

Having been told they would have to stand down till further orders concerning the shipment from earlier in the week, Casey had insisted they would work on his training again. The older agent insisting that for now Chuck might be an agent, but he didn't want to risk another intersect malfunction, jeopardizing both the team, and the younger agent. So Casey had taken it on himself to restart the lanky nerd's training. A training that had been interrupted by the appearance of Shaw, who had demanded that all training activities that did not pertain the intersect had to be put on hold. Now though Casey had restarted his training regime, demanding however that he would not use the intersect to help him.

For the last four days they had spent every hour they could either in the weight room or in the dojo working on his overall skills, and strength. Making sure that another one of his infamous malfunctions wouldn't end him. Progress so far had been slow, as could have been expected, and he was almost longing to get back on missions, the only real upside being it kept his mind of things. In stark contrast the older man seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly, and a smirk seemed to have been constantly on his face, and he hadn't even once complained about an itchy trigger finger.

"So you going to attack or what?" The Major said with a smirk. "You know your friend Shaw he would have probably gone for it by now." He continued his smirk now turning slightly more devious, obviously trying to goad his young pupil in lashing at him.

Chuck had to restrain himself a little at the second remark. The topic of Shaw still being a sore subject for him, he didn't appreciate the major rubbing his face in it, even if it was for the sake of training. But he knew it was something he needed to get through, he realised that it was exactly that kind of emotion that could get him killed, could get them all killed, and just in case he forgot he still had the bruises of the first ten times to remind him. Every time he had tried to attack a swift jab or kick had caused him to land on his ass. So this time he just kept on circling the other man.

The Majors smirk only grew wider though, "Finally knocked some sense in you then?" He said with amusement.

Taking a few more sidesteps, Chuck was taken by surprise by the other man's actions. Before the lanky nerd realised what was happening the NSA agent threw his fist in the direction of his jaw. Responding on intuition he managed to block it with his left hand, moments later needing to block another punch with his other hand. Amazed by the speed of the attacks and more importantly his own response to them, he failed to see the other man moving to sweep his legs out from underneath him. Moments later he was thrown back on his back as Casey's leg collided with his own, the air being pressed out of his lungs upon impacting the ground.

"Damn it Chuck, you need to stay focused." Casey said as he looked down upon him.

"I know Casey." He said still slightly out of breath.

"Then do it moron. Come on let's go again." Casey said as he reached out his hand to help the younger agent on his feet.

Taking the hand that was offered Chuck rose back to his feet, still needing to regain his breath, but Casey didn't accept his lingering attitude, and decided to throw a swift punch to the gut. Still not being focused as he should be, he didn't do anything to stop it, or brace himself for impact. The air was pressed out of his lungs again upon impact, while he lurched forward.

"Come on Moron, you can do better than this." Casey said as he went back to the position he had held before his first strikes on the young agent.

Chuck though had decided to level the playing field a little, so he stayed in a hunched position, shielding his eyes from the other man as he felt the familiar sensation of a flash come over him. He rose back to full length, with a small smirk, resuming the dance they had done previously.

Knowing that the effects of a flash weren't permanent he decided he needed to take quick action, so he moved a little closer to the other man, dancing around on his toes. He could see the small smirk appearing on Casey's face. Thinking his opponent was still the novice fighter he had fought mere moments ago, he threw a punch opening his guard. Chuck quickly dodged the punch by moving his body down slightly, and used to opening that had just been created to throw a swift punch to Casey's gut, followed by an equally swift punch to the face, causing the large man to fall back in surprise.

"I thought we said no flashes Carmichael." Casey said as he rose back to his feet seconds later.

"Please, when have I ever played by the rules?" He retorted with a smirk.

"Damn it Chuck, this is important." The NSA agent said with an annoyed voice.

"What? Me getting my ass handed to me on a platter the entire day?"

"Don't be a Moron, you agreed to this remember?"

"Fine" He huffed, "no more flashes."

"Good, now let's take it from the top."

They started circling each other again, both eagerly looking for an opening. One looking completely in place, while the other just looked with a determination in his eyes. But before they could really get another short fight started, they were interrupted by Kayla.

"Sorry to interrupt guys, but Walker's called a meeting in ten minutes." She said with a short nod from the doorway, before turning to leave again.

Casey turned back to face his young pupil, "We'll pick this up again later."

"Can't wait." Chuck muttered under his breath sarcastically, as he started moving for the exit. But before he could reach it he felt his legs being swept away from under him again.

"That's for cheating Moron." Casey said with a smirk as he looked down on his pupil.

Was still worth it, Chuck thought to himself, as he used his arms to drag himself on his feet, before finally leaving the room in the mansion he disliked the most.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was sitting in the chair that she had gotten all too familiar with since she had arrived in Langley. Across from her was the short red haired woman that she had already clashed with plenty of times over the last few years. The general was studying the file the analysts had written up intently, occasionally muttering something under her breath. Sarah could see the same concerns in the features of the short woman in front of her, that she had experienced herself. It was why, for now, she would not try again with the general. Till they would find out more, she would solely work on Shaw. Even if he hadn't been around much. Just another thing that she had to figure out.

Seeing the general was still busy going over the file, she fished her phone out of her pockets, and started to sent a message to Shaw telling him that they had business to discuss, and they needed to meet as soon as she was done with the briefings she had scheduled. After talking to the general she would first need to talk to the team. After that though, she would have to discuss things more personally with Shaw, even if she didn't much feel for it, they were going to have to work together. At least for the time being. The only problem was that there was no trusting him, not until she learned the truth.

For a moment after texting Shaw she contemplated sending a text to Chuck, just to check up and see how the team was doing. She knew deep down that it was a lie to hide behind the team, and that she really just wanted to hear from him, since it had been days, actually ever since he had shocked her with what they had found, but she fought the urge. Now was not the time, so she told herself. Even if the loneliness of being alone in Langley, with a partner that couldn't be colder, and no one else around was making her realise more and more that she missed her old team, that she missed him. It was moments like that, that she regretted his red test, though she had started to wonder if perhaps it was an excuse. That perhaps she was looking for just another excuse not be vulnerable again, that the scars of Prague ran deeper than she had thought, that perhaps the scars of her childhood had re-opened and deepened. It was in those moments of doubt and confusion that she would have loved to still have a friend like Ellie, but for now she would have to make due on her own.

After what seemed like forever the general finally closed the file with a small sigh, before turning her eyes to the blonde agent sitting in front of her.

"It seems Agent Walker, we are running out of time. If The Ring finds a way to complete the intersect, if they work through these issues we'll be in trouble." The general said, with her eyes fixed on those of the woman in front of her.

"I understand that ma'am." She replied with a neutral voice.

"Well then, I take it you and agent Shaw are working on a solution?"

"Agent Shaw has not been around much these last few days ma'am." She said with a professional tone.

"Wait, so we might have uncovered the most important piece of Intelligence in the last few years, and Agent Shaw is no where to be found?" The general said with an annoyed voice.

"That's correct ma'am." She replied, but she didn't wait for the other woman to respond as she continued. "However ma'am, we have several of our teams working on this. I have good hope that our Roman and Paris offices can uncover everything we need to know."

"I see. That better be true Walker, I hate to think what would happen if the Ring gets a functioning intersect. That could shift the power into their advantage." The general said, looking at the blonde agent intensely.

"I understand that general." She said annoyed, they had been over that before, it wasn't like she was new to this.

"Good, you're dismissed." The red haired woman said, with a stern voice.

"Excuse me general, but what am I supposed to do about Shaw being absent all this time?" She replied with a slight hint of hesitation. She didn't really need to ask the general, but she hoped that she could force him into telling her the truth, if their was some more instigation to built some trust.

The other woman sighed, "Let me worry about Shaw agent Walker, for now you just focus on The Ring." She said keeping the stern voice.

"Yes ma'am" She replied as she got out of her chair and started moving to leave, needing to start working towards their objective, she pulled out her phone and arranged a meeting with a few of her teams.

X-X-X-X-X

The team sat gathered at the conference table, waiting for Walker to check in with them, waiting for the verdict on the intersect components they had found. Chuck could feel a slight hint of tension in the room, he could even see the tension in Casey's features. It wasn't very noticeable, but after the years they had spent together he could make it out.

Looking at the brunette agent sitting next to the Major he could clearly make out the tenseness of the situation, and he couldn't help but remember her reaction to their find.

_"Casey we got a problem." He said with a low voice._

"_What is it Carmichael?" Casey responded with an annoyed voice. _

"_Not here, and definitely not over an open line. But we need to ship this stuff to Langley." He said with an urgency in his voice. _

_After arranging the shipment to Langley the team gathered back at their hotel room. After making sure it was bug free, they gathered around a small table. _

"_All right, so Chuck you going to tell us what is going on?" The young female agent asked with some impatience. _

"_Well it seems like The Ring is building an intersect." He said looking around him, he could see Morgan's eyes widen, while Kayla just looked at him questioningly. The Major much like him just looked concerned having already recognized the material they had found when they were in the process of shipping it. _

"_Wait a what? What on earth is an intersect?" Kayla asked with a hint of confusion in her voice._

_Chuck locked eyes with the older agent sitting across from him for a second, seeking approval of him. When Casey gave him a small nod he continued. "The intersect is a type of computer. It contains all the intelligence in the country, well or in the Ring's case all the intelligence they have. When it encounters certain things, voices, scars, pictures of areas or certain key words, etc. it triggers the information. Making it easier to access key information, something that could give an edge." He stated, leaving out the part of the human intersect, hoping that for now this would be enough. _

"_So wait, this whole thing is just about a computer? And how do you know so much about it?" Kayla asked with still a hint of confusion. _

"_The capabilities of this thing are incredible, especially if they manage to place it in the field."_

"_So what you are saying is that it can be used as some portable device or something, making it possible to spot everything, from our safe houses, to our agents?" She said, now with some more alarm in her voice._

"_Yeah sort of." He said sighing a little, he knew she would probably keep digging unless he gave her a little more. "The information can be embedded in images, making it possible to implant the intersect in an agent's head. At least that's the theory." He continued with a low voice._

"_Wow, so in theory they could implant their agents with it, and we'd practically be done for." She said with some tension in her voice._

"_Exactly, so we need to get to the bottom of this."_

Ever since then though, they had been waiting on orders. Now it seemed like they would finally be getting them. The waiting had been getting to him, and not just because of Casey's training, but also because it gave him time to think. He had tried to keep busy, and Casey had helped in that, but she kept flashing through his mind. Every time she did, he would try to suppress it, which he was getting slightly more adapt at, even if it pained him. It helped of course that next to his training, Morgan's training, and the concern over the intersect, there was not that much time left in the day.

They had been sitting at the table for a minute or so, when the screen beeped, indicating the incoming transmission. Finally they would be getting the answers they had been craving for.

Within seconds a familiar blonde figure appeared on the screen.

"Good afternoon team." She said with a small smile, and Chuck couldn't help but notice that she seemed more relaxed than he had expected. Maybe things weren't as bad as he had feared for the last few days.

"Afternoon ma'am" The team chided in unison, though Casey just seemed to give a small grunt.

"I suppose you have all been waiting anxiously for the word on the components." She said still holding the small smile on her face, and Chuck couldn't help but feel a little more at ease because of it.

"You could say that Walker." Casey grunted as if he was saying what the hell took so long.

"Well the good news is, they aren't anywhere near getting a functioning intersect. The bad news is, we have no idea who is working on it for them, or where they are stationed. We need you to figure out who Borelli is working with."

"So I take it that means that you want us to infiltrate his inner circle?" Kayla said with some trepidation in her voice, as if she dreaded the prospect of such a mission.

Chuck could sense what she was thinking, and dreading that idea himself, he remembered his conversation with Borelli the night that they broke into his office, so before Sarah could talk, he stepped in. "Look Kayla, there is something you need to know. There are a number of things I don't like, those things include bullets as you already know," He started with a smirk, causing Kayla to shake her head with a small smile. "and seduction missions. You can ask the good major, or Agent Walker about that. Besides we don't need to seduce anything." He said finishing still smirking.

Sarah gave a small knowing smile, "So what do you suggest then Chuck?"

"Well it just so happens that Borelli expressed interest in starting a business venture with me when we met during the party the other day. He was more than interested in the supposed software I sold to the government." He stated nonchalantly.

"What if he wants to see the software?" Morgan asks.

"I'll just say that part of the deal was me giving up every copy of it, and that I did not expect to really do anything with the software again, but that I'm certain I could create something fulfilling his needs. Besides all we need are names."

"Okay team, make it happen. Set up the meet." Sarah said, as she moved her hands to cut the feed. "Good luck." And with that the feed ended, leaving the team to iron out the details.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah let out a small sigh, seeing Chuck again had brought in the usual range of emotions, but she had also felt the need increase to be there with him. She tried to blame it on the loneliness she was feeling, which was still something she blamed him for, till him she had loved every moment being alone, now she just wanted to be with him. No matter how many excuses she had created for herself. The tensity of their current situation not helping in being separated from him, she really missed the peace only he could give her.

Now though it almost seemed like they had replaced her seamlessly. She knew Chuck was a loyal man, who would always keep a place in his heart for her, but she also noticed how well the team and Kayla got along. To her it felt like the young agent had taken her place on the team, even if it had been her own decision that created the situation. He even took the time to address the issues Agent Mitchells was having, like he usually did with her. And while it were her decisions that had led them to this point, she couldn't help but feel a small stab of jealousy in the pit of her stomach as he took such care of the young brunette.

Another confusing aspect was that apparently Mitchells had already become acquainted with Chuck's aversion to lethal force. She had not expected his aversion for bullets to still be around after his red test. For her, that had been a life altering experience, and it had led her to become less abrasive towards weapons, even if she didn't enjoy killing like Casey did. So to hear that he still hated the use of bullets was something that made her feel good, yet slightly confused. It lead her to wonder about the truth of his statement, that there was more to the red test.

She heard the door crack open, and saw her young raven haired assistant peek in the room.

"Excuse me Agent Walker, but Agent Shaw has just arrived. He wondered if you had time for the meeting you requested right now." The young woman spoke softly.

"Uhmm… yeah that would be fine, just sent him in." She answered with a professional voice.

The raven haired woman disappeared again, closing the door, while Sarah made sure she sat back up straight, wanting to be a presence when her excuse of a partner walked in. Wanting to make it known that she wouldn't stand for nonsense, or being kept in the dark. Making sure he would know she demanded answers.

Only seconds later the door opened again, revealing the tall figure of the raven haired Agent that she had been needing to contact for a while, which had proven impossible. Now that he was here though, she could sense there was a shift in his demeanour. It was subtle, but she had spent enough time with him to sense that something was different. It felt somehow sinister, and his eyes seemed darker, but she had no idea to tell what was going on.

"Finally decided to show up again have you Daniël?" She said with an edge on her voice.

"What is it to you Walker? You know what it's like." He replied with an equal edge on his voice, though trying to act like he didn't care.

"It matters to me because we're supposed to be partners Shaw, it matters because we have important issues to discuss. And now you were practically unreachable for days. There is something you aren't telling me, and I have the right to know." She said keeping the edge on her voice, while she gazed into his eyes.

"Look Walker, I was following up on some stuff, that's all you need to know. Now either you get to whatever you wanted to discuss or I'm going to talk to the General."

She eyed him for a second, not trusting what he had said, but she had nothing to go on, she would have to continue this later, the Ring and their intersect being too important to postpone, so she sighed a little before changing the subject, though she still eyed him with suspicion in her eyes.

"We need to discuss the fact that we intercepted components for an intersect. More precisely The Ring's planned intersect." She said trying to get the edge of her voice and sound cool and professional. To her surprise there wasn't even the slightest hint of surprise or concern on the veteran agent in front of her.

"I see. I take it you have gotten it all examined." He stated with a completely neutral voice.

"Yes I did, here is the preliminary report." She said sliding the folder over to the other side of the desk. He took it in his hands and started going through some things.

"Ok Walker I'm going to go through this, we'll meet again once I'm done." He said starting to get back, but he sat back down, this time with a devious grin on his face.

"By the way Sam, you still wanted to know what my mission was in Burbank?" He asked her, with a gleam in his eyes.

"For the last time Daniël it's Sarah." She exclaimed annoyed. "But if you are finally willing to tell me what the hell you were doing there, then go ahead." She continued eyeing him carefully.

"Oh it's really fun actually, I'm sure you're going to love it." He said now smirking at her. "We read the reports for years about you and the intersect, and the way he always responded to you nurturing him, then when we saw the tape of the two of you in Prague, we knew we had to do something, and that this was our moment. So my mission was simple, destroy your bond with the intersect and turn him into the weapon we needed him to be, by using the situation to our advantage. Or in other words make him the tool it was designed to be. And Sarah," he said adding venom into her name, "I need to thank you for it, because you've been most helpful. After all without you he would have never dared to fulfil his red test. That poor Bartowski, and to think he did it all for you, and you just turned your back on him when he needed you. It really was all quite funny to watch." He finished sounding amused.

She was just sitting there needing to rely on her training not to let her mouth drop, or kick his ass around her office right that instant. Her problems would only increase if she did the latter, and she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her physical reaction. But the shock, even if a part of her had suspected this, caused her to be unable to talk. The worst part was, she knew he was right about it being her pushing him, that had made him make the choices he seemingly made, even if there was now some doubt in her that it was all true. Even so, he was definitely right about him needing her, how could she have claimed to love him and then leave him hanging like that? She should have been there for him, but she had been too scared to open up again.

Shaw eyed her for a few seconds, obviously enjoying his little revelations and what it was doing to her, before he got up to leave.

"I'm sure you have a lot to think about Sam." He started with a smirk, "So I suppose I better leave you to it." He finished, as he turned to leave. Leaving Sarah with her thoughts.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla was helping Morgan set up for the op they were running in an hour. She had helped Morgan get acquainted with most of the stuff they had in The Cave over the last few days, but they had decided it would still be better if someone would help him out when possible during missions. This being a relatively low risk mission, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to evaluate Morgan's progress even if he had functioned well during their last mission.

Typing in a few commands into the screen to tap into the security systems at the Borelli mansion, she thought back to the crazy ride this assignment had already become. From the luxurious villa, to the lavish hotel rooms, and the cocktail parties, which were the picture they had painted her when they had recruited her, even if she hadn't experienced much of it till now. But the most interesting thing about the assignment had been the team. Every day she learned something new, and every day it surprised her. Carmichael's aversion to bullet's, Morgan's complete lack of experience despite the high priority mission, Casey kicking Chuck around in their sparring sessions, while he should be able to get a few shots in of his own, the fact that Carmichael won't allow seduction missions, and to top it all off the completely outlandish idea of the intersect. It was just something she couldn't wrap her head around.

Despite having time to adjust to the idea of it, she just couldn't help find that it was more a ploy that belonged in movies, or tv shows. But to think it actually existed was something weird, but it had to, why else did they make such a big point of it? And how on earth did Carmichael and Casey know so much about it? There is something there, and she was desperate to find out. She could even see it every time she talked to Chuck about it, his eyes showed he wanted to tell her more, that he could tell her more. She had decided that Morgan would be an easier way to get access to the information she wanted, but he had been so disarming. She had often been dragged in just goofing around a little, but she would try again now they had some time together.

"Okay done." She said as she broke into the system, and then turned to Morgan, who was fiddling around with some of the equipment he was supposed to plug in.

"Come on Morgan, stop messing around." She said somewhat annoyed.

"Right, sorry." He said sheepishly as he started plugging some of the stuff in.

"Come on Morg, just keep your head in the game. This mission isn't anything special, just relax everything's going to be fine." She said as she softly placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping her touch could calm his nerves a little.

"I know you're right." He said giving her an appreciative smile.

"Hey Morgan, did you think it was weird that Chuck knew this much about the intersect?" She said nonchalantly in between their activities, as they worked side by side.

"No not really, why?" He answered with a slight shrug.

"It's just, for something that's supposed to be top secret, he sure knew a lot about it. It's just that combined with who Carmichael is, it just seems off." She said now looking him straight in the eyes, as she could see him starting to get a little uncomfortable.

"I don't know, Chuck's a pretty smart guy." He replied still trying to act casual, but his body had tensed.

"That's not the point though is it Morgan, I mean he couldn't have known all that, unless he knows more than he's telling." She said now lowering her voice a little as she looked around making sure neither Chuck or Casey would suddenly come down into The Cave.

"What is it you're implying Kayla?" The bearded man said with a raised eyebrow.

"What I'm saying is that there is more to Charles Carmichael than we know, and we need to find out what it is."

Morgan let out a little nervous chuckle, "Don't you think you are being a little bit overdramatic?"

"No I don't. Listen Morgan, you don't want to go in the field with someone that is withholding information. Trust is key in this business, and he doesn't trust me enough to tell what is going on, so it must be pretty good." She said in a hushed tone.

"Maybe he has a reason not to tell us. But I do know one thing, Carmichael is one of the most loyal people I know." He said with a sincerity in his voice, that surprised Kayla, it was that of someone that had been friends a long time, and knew the other person through and through. It only deepened the mystery.

"Just watch your back Morgan, that's all I'm saying." She said, now even more intrigued than she had been before. There was something going on here, she just hoped he wasn't some kind of double agent, though she could hardly imagine him being one. His eyes, and his manners were just to pure for him to be one, unless he was such a good actor, or he really believed he was doing the right thing. She silently prayed she had read him well enough.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck was feeling the cool Italian evening air breeze against his skin. Oddly enough it felt extremely soothing to sit back in the garden of the Villa of The Ring supplier. Somehow the clear sky, with the partial moon, and the clear stars, while he could hear the fountain in the background made him feel at ease as it reminded him of the beach he frequented back in Burbank. It surprised him that even in this setting he could use that to make him feel relaxed. Regardless of mission specifics he had always felt more than a little nervous, now the nerves were still there, but he also felt like he was where he was supposed to be.

He looked around trying to see if the man he was supposed to meet with was already coming. One of his man had situated Chuck in the garden, telling him to wait there, and that the other man would be there shortly. But so far the Italian had not yet showed up. Trying to act cool, he moved his head around slow enough to make it seem like a casual maneuver, but he felt uneasy with every passing minute. Experience had told him that this situation could escalate faster than Jeffster could get kicked out of a nightclub. Starting to feel uneasy he decided that he needed to find out more, so he pulled out his phone, realizing that if they were watching him using his earpiece would not be a good idea, and dialed Morgan.

"Hey Morg, how's it going buddy." He said keeping his voice neutral, while lounging back a little in his chair.

"_Hey Chuck, not much going on Borelli was just talking on the phone." Morgan replied with a slight hint of nerves in his voice._

"Right, any idea of what was happening?"

"_No idea, sorry Chuck we couldn't make anything out." Was what he heard back apologetically. _

''All right thanks buddy. Talk to you soon." He said before ending the connection. Yet there still was no sign of the Italian.

He wondered if this was some kind of plan from Borelli, that perhaps it was how he did business. First make the other party nervous and anxious in order to make it easier to get what you want. It wasn't something that would surprise him, after all bad guy or not the Italian was a shrewd business man, and definitely a force to be reckoned with. He just hoped there weren't any suspicions on his real identity, or contact about this with The Ring. If there were things could turn out nasty, he had no idea how far his reputation went in the organization. His whole plan supported on the idea that he would only deal with sub organizations, and middle men. There was a definite risk to this situation.

He looked behind him as he heard the soft grinding noise of feet hitting the rough white gravel pathway that went through the entire garden. When he glanced back he could see the muscular raven haired man approaching him. The man was wearing an expensive tailored suit, that accented his muscular frame. It was clear that this man was in shape. Two of his bodyguards were following him closely, just like the intersect information had suggested. Thankfully both did not trigger any flashes.

Quietly he focused himself, giving a quick nod to Casey who was positioned near the garden exit, as he heard the burly man over his earpiece. "Stay focused Chuck."

As the Italian finally reached the table, Chuck plastered a fake smile on his face. Internally wanting nothing more than to take him down right there and then, but he needed the information. He would have to keep his cool and play along. He looked into the Italian's eyes, and momentarily saw a sinister gleam appear in his eyes, before it was quickly replaced by a more hospital one that fit better with the fake smile he was giving.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting mister Carmichael." Stefano said with an almost sweet voice, thick with an Italian accent, one Chuck had not noticed so clearly during the party.

"Oh it's no problem at all, I rather enjoyed the scenery while you were busy." He said with an equally sweet voice, keeping the smile on his face.

"I know it's beautiful out here at night, it's actually the reason I bought this place." Borelli replied, giving a glance at the night sky. "Anyway, my young American friend, you wanted to talk business."

"That all depends on you and what you want Signor Borelli." He said, keeping his eyes fixed on those of the man in front of him.

"Look Mister Carmichael," Borelli started, before Chuck interrupted him.

"Please call me Charles." He said amiable.

"Fine, Charles, I don't know what kind of software you produced. You can't possibly expect me to tell you more, till you give me something."

"Fine." Chuck huffed a little, as he straightened himself a little. "The software I sold was actually quite simple. There was some satellite software, and there was some data analysis. Practically though, I should be able to get you anything you need. Security software, analysis, viruses, Trojans, you name it, customized to your personal taste." He said with a slightly lower, and tense voice. He could see the other man's eyes light up just a little when he heard about the data analysis.

The other man nodded slowly before speaking. "So if I were to say, introduce you to some people that are having some problems, you'd be the man that could fix it?"

Chuck gave the man a sly grin, "Only if the price is right my good man, only if the price is right."

"That's good, because here's the deal." The Italian started, before explaining what they would expect.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw hadn't been able to stop smiling ever since he left Walker's office. Everything had just played into his hands perfectly, and to see the look on her face had been absolutely priceless. She had been so hurt, and conflicted, he could see it all in her eyes, Walker had really let herself go, thanks to the geek, which was something that played perfectly into his hand. And to think she actually was asking him questions, oh how he loved to turn the tables on people like that. He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what she had to be feeling in that moment.

He had to admit though, it was annoying that she had been asking questions, not to mention that she had been on his case for the last few days, trying to figure out what he was doing. Well it doesn't matter she would soon find out anyway, he thought to himself, as he took the last exit towards The Ring's HQ. Glancing in his mirrors he knew he had been careful enough and no one was following him.

Somewhere though, it had surprised him that Walker was still so active about where he was going all the time. It meant to him that perhaps he would have to be on guard a little more than he had expected. She really had not been much of an Agent over these last few months. Always whining to him about the intersect, always seemingly hurt and pained, never able to hide her emotions. It was almost like she had forgotten that part of her training. He had warned her before that it could lead to her getting killed, and now it might just happen. He would definitely take pleasure out of what he was going to do.

For the last few days he had been setting everything in motion, his master plan to get The Ring everything they wanted, and situate his revenge. Even with the revenge being award enough, it helped to know that he would become an influential player in the organization. To have the intersect, and Walker deliver him the files the ring needed to complete the intersect, or at least progress a lot further, it just seemed like it couldn't get any better. He had just arrived at the DNI HQ and walked out with the files less than an hour later. And the beauty was no one suspected a thing. Not even Walker or Beckman would know that their precious file was now on the way to The Ring. He couldn't help but smile widely as he glanced over to the passenger seat, where the thick file was situated.

His plan seemed to be working like the charm, he would just have to drop off the file, and he would set part two in motion. Oh he would enjoy that one even more. It would be the pinnacle of his life since his wife died. It might not have been the people he planned to take down for five years, but that only made it sweeter. They would pay even more for lying to him for that long.

Pulling into a small parking lot, he looked around once more before exiting his vehicle, taking the needed file with him. Just one more short meeting and he would get to lead his new team in action. The team he had spent the last few days assembling. The team he had already sent out for the next phase of his plan, he just needed to give them the word.

Cheerful with a small spring in his step, he entered the neutral looking building. They had used a small paper company as a front for the relatively small ring base, but it was one that was not under suspicion from any of the enemy agencies, so it seemed like the right place to do this. So here he was, handing over his part of the deal, making sure he would get what he wanted.

Ignoring the secretaries shout, he marched on to the elevator, entering the combination to go downstairs. Within half a minute the elevator arrived it's destination and he walked off in the brightly illuminated corridor, with navy blue walls. It was one long hallway, with at the end the office of the man he was supposed to meet. Walking up there with long strides, he could feel that this would be his finest moment, so without hesitation he opened the door.

The short man behind the oak desk in the room looked up and smiled. "Ah Daniël I was expecting you. Good to have you back so soon." The man said with his British accent.

"Thank you director." He said with a small nod, "Here are the files you requested. This should help your scientists complete The Intersect." He said with some pride.

"Very good Daniël. I'll make sure the Elders will hear of this exploit. Now you go and do what you have to do." The director said almost cheerfully.

"Thank you sir." The tall double agent replied curtly as he turned to leave.

"Oh Daniël, one more thing." He heard the British man say, causing him to turn back around. "Make sure you enjoy it." The man said with a sinister smile.

"Oh rest assured, I will." He said as he opened the door, "I most definitely will." He muttered under his breath as he closed the door behind him.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah had been livid ever since Shaw had left her office. Actually she had felt a wide range of emotions, but anger had soon gotten the upper hand, so much so that she needed to take time before talking to Beckman. As much as she wanted to, she would not go in there screaming and shouting. Honestly she wasn't even sure if she wouldn't have killed the general if she had gone to Beckman right away. She had barely been able to resist taking out her gun and aiming it towards the agent that had played her.

That was part of what hurt most. She had been suckered, she had been duped in the way she usually suckered others. How could she have been so foolish to get caught up in that rip tide? How could she not have seen that coming? How could she not have protected Chuck from that? And to think that all that time she had one desire, prevent him from becoming the weapon they wanted him to be, and ultimately she had only contributed to it. First with her plan in Prague, which she should have known he wouldn't go along with, and then with everything that happened after it. But now she knew, and there would be hell to pay. She just didn't know how yet.

One thing she did know, she couldn't trust Beckman, or Shaw, but there wasn't anything she could do about it for now. She just wasn't sure how she would show up for work again tomorrow and the day after that, with an organization that had betrayed her to such an extent. In truth, she had always thought that the CIA had been a lifeline for her, a safety, and even though there were certain things she didn't agree with, she had always hoped that this would be out there. And even though she was starting to get those suspicions the last week, she couldn't help but feel the pain of it intensely.

Fuming, she ignored everyone on her way to Beckman's office, the stale walls of the DNI HQ becoming a blur, as her vision narrowed. She had a goal in mind, and she wouldn't stop or step aside for anyone. Rushing through the waiting area outside of Beckman's office, not bothering to glance around, or look at the secretaries for permission she barged on, earning her shocked looks from the two young lieutenants that functioned as Beckman's aides.

With a hard push, she opened the door, forcing the door to loudly bang against the wall at the side. She could see Beckman was in a meeting with two young agents. Resisting the urge to tell them to watch their backs for any knifes sticking out, she just glared at them.

"Get out." She bit at them with fury in her voice.

The two young agents seemed shaken, something she had never expected to see in a CIA agent, as they only nodded and left the room.

"What the hell are you doing Walker?" Beckman said with anger in her voice.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing Diane." She scolded. "Do you think it's fun playing with people's life? Huh? Do you enjoy making people tools Diane? Or do you just take pleasure in destroying people that have served this country?" She nearly shouted. She could see the short general flinch a little at that.

"What the hell are you talking about Walker?" The general bit back, even though her tone suggested that she knew.

"Oh don't play coy with me Diane. I'm talking about the little plan you and your beloved Agent Shaw came up with. Tell me did you enjoy it?" She said in anger, while the General glared at her.

"I did what I had to do Walker. You brought this upon yourself with the stunts you tried to pull. Trying to take an asset rogue twice Walker, you were lucky this was all we did." She said with a low voice, continuing her glare.

"You listen to me Diane, I did what I had to do when I tried to protect him. If I hadn't done what I did the first time, Orion would now be a slave to The Ring, and they would have destroyed us already, you were just too stupid to realize that, just like you always are when it comes to Chuck. As for the second time, I was just trying to protect the man that I love from exactly this kind of thing. You should understand that with your relationship with Roan." She said with a dangerous tone as she moved to get in the general's face. "You're just lucky we are in the middle of this fight. But mark my words general" She started adding venom to the shorter woman's rank, "this isn't over." She stated menacingly before turning to leave the room. She knew she had a call to make.

X-X-X-X-X

Ellie was feeling good as she just finished her shift. She had an evening filled with all kinds of relaxing things planned, having her first night off in what seemed like forever she definitely wanted to make the most of it. The only downside for her was that Devon had not been able to get the night off as well, though at least that meant that she did not need to watch any of his sports programs to please him. She could just watch things like America's next top model without needing to filter out his constant moaning about it.

Opening her locker, she was greeted by the smiling faces of both her husband and her little brother. She had taped that picture on the small door long ago, actually it had been right around the time Sarah Walker had walked into their life. She really had expected those two to make it all the way, there was such strong chemistry there, but neither of them wanted to talk about what happened. Which was not something she was used too when it came to her little brother, but he had been constant in his answers. I don't want to talk about it had become his favourite reply.

Having taken out everything she needed, she closed the locker again, making sure that she had locked it, she started making her way out of the hospital. She just hoped to make it to the exit without anyone starting to ask her questions just because she was wearing scrubs. All she really wanted to go home. Perhaps she could even call her brother, she hadn't talked to him in what seemed like forever, and that bothered her. Even if she had thought it was great that he had tried to move on with his life, and that he was trying to make something of himself. She really hated the fact that he worked at the buy more. Another upside was that she now didn't need to buy anything near Jeff and Lester again, she could just go to the Large Mart.

She breathed in deep, and let it out shakily, as she finally walked outside. Going through the parking lot, she could see the different faces going towards the hospital. Those with hope, and those with a look that screamed they knew they wouldn't be coming back, because their loved one wouldn't need them anymore. Somehow some of the faces made her feel uneasy. There was something that made her feel like there was something dangerous. So despite it not yet being really night time, she picked up the pace, needing to get to her car as quickly as possible.

As she reached her car, she found a man leaning against the car standing next to her. He was a burly man, in a dark suit, leaning against an equally dark car. There was something alarming about him. But he greeted her nonetheless.

"Evening Miss." He said with a gruff voice.

"Evening." She replied with a cordial nod of the head, as she felt her phone vibrate.

She furrowed her eyebrow as she looked at the caller ID and saw that the person that was calling was Sarah Walker. Immediately she felt a million questions wash over her, but she never got to ask them, because as she was about to press accept she felt something hard and cold connect with her skull, as the world went black around her.


	7. Chapter 7

With a slightly painful groan Ellie opened her eyes. Her head was still pounding, and she had to fight back the distinct feeling of wanting to throw up. As a doctor she knew she probably had a concussion, she just wasn't sure what had caused it, but judging by the room she was in, she knew it wasn't something innocent or an accident.

The room was dark, and the little part of it she could make out because of the sparse bits of light that came through the cracks that surrounded the only door in the room, was mostly concrete. There didn't seem to be anything on the walls other than the occasional spider that seemed to run across it. She could also feel the metal of the chair she was on, along with the painful and cold sensation of the handcuffs they had used to make sure she would stay in place. The room itself wasn't much warmer than the chair or the handcuffs, which made her suspect that it was some old warehouse of sorts.

Slowly as she tried to remember what had happened the reality of the situation started to set in. She still wasn't entirely sure what had happened, all she remembered was a weird man standing against the car next to hers, and the next thing she remembered was waking up with a pounding headache in a strange room. It frightened her to no end, mostly because she had no idea what these people wanted from her. She had nothing to offer them, she had only just paid of her college loans, she usually heard on the news that men like these went after people with money, so what could they possibly want from her? What if she couldn't offer them what they wanted? That would probably mean she'd die. Then what would happen to her brother or her husband? Would they even ever find out what would happen to her? Had one of them already alerted the authorities, or were they now in the same danger? And what on earth were they going to do to her to get what they wanted? Would they resort to torture?

There were just too many questions running through her mind and she seemed unable to find any answers. The more she tried, the bigger her headache grew, and the more frightened she'd become. She had always been the girl that found solace in solving puzzles, and having the answers, it was what had gotten her to the point she had reached, but now it played a huge part in freaking her out. Now it almost seemed it was working against her.

Taking a deep breath she tried to find at least a little calm, knowing she needed to be as relaxed an clear of mind as she could possibly be if she wanted to get out of this situation alive. If she ever wanted to fulfill her lifelong dreams of having a family, and seeing her brother carve out the happiness he deserved, she needed to stay strong and fight for her survival. If she only knew what they wanted, then perhaps she could think of a way out.

Continuing to struggle to remain calm, she closed her eyes, as she continued to try and regulate her breathing. Constantly taking a deep breath in, before exhaling slowly. With her eyes now closed, she tried to picture the people that meant the most to her, her husband, her brother, and even her father and Morgan. They all came by, and they all were part of some peaceful happy memory. They all were something to hold on to, something worth fighting for. They were her inner strength.

Finally finding just a hint of peace, or at least more than she had shortly after she had opened her eyes for the first time in what she could only describe as her prison, she could hear the rhythmic sound of someone walking towards the door. She couldn't help the fear that took hold of her, the feeling tightening around her chest, causing her to almost shake lightly. Making it somewhat harder to breath, and increasing the desire to throw up. At least, she told herself to find some strength, she would finally find out why she was here.

X-X-X-X-X

The loud rhythmic thumping of leather colliding with leather was echoing through the still mostly impersonal apartment, while sweat was glistening off the young blonde agent's body. Her breathing was slightly heavier and had even turned slightly irregular, from the work out that she had been practically doing for the last hour. Trying to put her mind at ease, trying to find some answers somewhere, and end the confusion, ultimately trying to let the thoughts fade into the background even if it was for just a little while.

Her mind had just been all over the place ever since Shaw had dropped the bomb on her. It had been like someone had pulled the rug out from underneath her. The CIA had been her constant since her senior year, and now she learned that in a lot of ways they had betrayed her. She had just always believed that somehow they would have her best interest at heart as well as that of the country, that the CIA had saved her, but now it seemed like she had always been manipulated.

She wondered what else they had manipulated her with? What if it had all been a lie since day one? What if her Dad had not been in danger and Graham had just sought her out as his next star pupil? There was after all no substitute in any field to a life long training, and in a lot of ways what she was doing now, was no different than what she had been doing since her Mother had left them. For a man with a keen eye like Graham, the possibilities must have seemed endless, and that was what he projected on her. All the things that he had made her do, all the things that he had told her, it couldn't have all been a lie, could it? How could she really trust anyone in the CIA anymore? How could she ever continue to work on for a person like Beckman, or with someone like Shaw?

Furiously she lashed out again at the bag, crying out while thrusting her fist against it. The bag swayed heavily as her fist collided with it, but unlike before everything had happened, she did not feel better. There was just so much going through her head, and it seemed like she was now completely without a centre in her life, she just couldn't find any peace. In fact she had not found peace since she had left Burbank. She had not found peace since _he _had left Burbank.

Resigning in the fact that the bag was not the escape she had desired it would be, she stepped away from it, and moved towards the bed. In frustration she let herself fall face first on the covers, letting out a frustrated groan in the process. She could feel the covers slowly absorbing the sweat that had still been glistening on the bare parts of her skin, as her thoughts continued to race.

She was desperate to know how far the manipulation had gone, and how long it had been. But she knew Beckman would never give her the answers she desired, and she wondered why on earth Shaw had even told her this much. It was almost like he wanted her to distrust her superiors, it was almost like he wanted her to be isolated completely. But it didn't make any sense, unless it was somehow connected to him being absent for most of the last few days. Was he somehow involved with something sinister? Surely he couldn't have been turned to The Ring, after all she knew why he had such hatred for them, and she just couldn't imagine that changing.

The most painful thing Shaw had said would probably have been the truth about her changing and abandoning Chuck, but why had she not seen that herself? Had she really just been manipulated in thinking that Chuck was changing, while no one else could really see that? Was it just all a ploy for them both to become isolated, so that they both could become the weapons the government desired?

The truth was, with everything she had been told, she was now even starting to doubt that Chuck had actually changed all that much. Yes he seemed different, and he was definitely more competent and capable as a spy, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. But had he really been capable of killing someone? She knew from the meetings that he still didn't care much for bullets, to such an extent even Mitchells had noticed, could he then really have killed the mole? After all she had been so different after the night of her red test. Had he really enjoyed all the lying? Or was it just her pain, and the constant reminding that Casey and Shaw gave her about his changing, or progress as they called it, that made her believe it? Had Casey been in on it as well? Had she perhaps made a mistake in who, or what to trust?

Still frustrated she tossed herself on her back, running her hand through her long golden locks as she stared at the ceiling. She wanted, or better yet, she needed answers, but she also needed to talk to Chuck. At the very least he deserved to know how they had gotten to this point, at the very least he needed to know who he was working for and how they perceived him. She just wasn't sure that he'd talk to her, so she wanted to talk to Ellie first. She knew that Ellie would not be more willing to talk to her, but she also knew that Ellie would love the chance to yell at her for hurting Chuck. So she'd be the best bet to get Chuck to talk to her about something more than just a mission. She just wasn't sure if he'd hang up before she could start talking to him.

Quickly she hoisted herself off the bed, walking to a small table which mostly served as a place to just throw things she just needed to discard things on. It wasn't the first time in the last four hours she had tried to call the female doctor that had meant so much to her, but somehow she had never accepted the call. If somehow she would get no response again, she'd just have to take her chances with Chuck himself.

Moving her lean fingers across the touch screen with ease, she quickly found the number she needed. Taking a deep breath, she pressed on call, and started praying someone would pick up.

X-X-X-X-X

The sound of footsteps that she had been hearing was becoming louder, and she just couldn't help the fear and panic that ran through her veins. It was almost becoming hard to breath, as she heard the person outside stop walking, and now slowly pushing something to the side. With a loud grinding noise, and an even louder bang, the what she assumed was a metal bolt moved aside, allowing the other person to push open the large metal door. It was cracking all the way.

Blinded by the sudden flash of light that sprang into the room, she quickly closed her eyes. The light causing her eyes, and head to hurt even more than it was already doing. After a few seconds, she carefully tried to open her eyes, and between her blinking she could make out the large frame of what seemed to be a raven haired man. Because of his position with the only source of light in his back it was nearly impossible to make out his face, but she could feel his gaze going over her.

After another few seconds, the man made his way towards her, and she was surprised by what she saw. She had seen this man before, in fact she recognized him as what she assumed was her brother's ex-girlfriends new flame. She had seen them one day in the Orange Orange together, when she had gone there to discuss something with the woman she had once hoped would become her sister-in-law. But seeing she was involved with such a man, was shocking to her. Sarah had always seemed so innocent, yes there was something mysterious about her, but she had never guessed it would be something like this. It just seemed so weird to think that Sarah would be involved with something like this. It just seemed more than likely that she had ran into the wrong guy, but what if she really was part of this? Had Chuck been sucked into such activities as well? Was that why things had always been so weird between them?

She could see him smirk at her, as he sat himself down on the small metal table she had somehow failed to notice before. Looking into his eyes, she could see something dark and sinister in them. As if he was a man with no more hope, that was now just out to do people harm as much as he could. It was a different thing than she had seen that one time at the Orange Orange.

She had been expecting him to speak, to make his demands, or ask his questions, like they always did in the movies, but he just kept looking at her while keeping his dark eyes locked on her in a gaze. Despite wanting to defy him, her urge to know more won over, and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Who… who are you?" She managed to croak out, her voice thick with the fear she was feeling. She tried to steady herself just a little upon hearing her own voice.

Shaw's smirk grew wider, as he remained silent, reaching into the pocket of his jeans, taking out an oddly familiar mobile phone, and a piece of paper. He placed both objects on the small table.

"What do you want from me?" Ellie asked, now having a slightly stronger voice, though panic was still audible in it.

But again he refused to answer, in stead his attention was drawn to the objects that he had placed on the small table, as the phone started vibrating, while the screen lit up, and the ring tone that belonged to Sarah's number started going.

"Ah, just in time." The man spoke out, with devious amusement in his voice.

Taking the piece of paper from the table, he placed it in her hand.

"As soon as I accept the call read what's on there." He said forcefully. All she could do was nod.

"Good."

He took the phone, and placed it at her ear, as he pressed the accept button. But unlike what the man had probably wanted, she stayed silent. She had wanted to read what was on the paper but the words were stuck in her mouth.

"_Ellie? Ellie are you there?" _She heard the voice of a familiar blonde speak from the other side of the phone, her voice filled with concern.

Ellie could feel something hard and cold suddenly pressed against her neck, so she started reading what was on the note, her voice shakily, and thick with emotion.

"Sarah, I… I don't know who they are, but they somehow took me hostage, they… they want you to bring them the… the intersect, or else his sister will die." She started, as she could hear the person on the other side of the line gasp slightly. "They… they claim they will find out if you tell anyone else, because they have people working close to both you and the intersect. If… if you do, they will not just kill the sister, but anyone else both you and the intersect care about. You have… five days." She finished her voice barely holding itself.

Before the blonde could answer, she raven haired man pulled away the phone and ended the call. Moving from behind her, back to face her, he flashed her a devious grin.

"Well done, Doctor Woodcombe." He said, as he pulled the piece of paper out of her hands, and then proceeded to smash her phone in front of her. "Wouldn't want them to track you, would you?" He said amused, as she looked at him with fearful eyes.

Without saying another word, he turned around and started moving towards the door, but before he could reach it she yelled after him.

"Wait, who are you? And what the hell do you want from me?" She yelled out in despair, towards his retreating form.

He just laughed, as he marched on, closing the metal door again as he left the room. She could hear the bolt lock move back into place as the darkness surrounded her again, while she dropped her head. While the footsteps were now removing themselves from her, she couldn't hold it together any longer, and she started sobbing silently.

X-X-X-X-X

It was a nice cool, and sunny Italian morning, as Chuck had noticed when he had gone out for a run with Casey. It had been part of his training for a while now, and although he had hated the idea of running for a long time, he was finally starting to enjoy it just a little. Granted it wasn't something he enjoyed half as much as he did when it came to his video games, but at least he didn't hate it anymore. Of course being able to run through the Italian country was a huge plus, and helped in the overall enjoyment.

Despite the fact that he had been starting to enjoy it slightly more he had been glad when they arrived home. His muscles still sore and tired from the training they had been doing over the last period, and in desperate need of some nurturing and relaxation. Taking a shower he had finally felt the tension leave his body slightly. After the shower he had wished to take a quick nap, but Casey would have probably come up to kick him out of the bed, so now he was sitting at the table in the garden.

The team was gathered around the medium sized oak table, to eat breakfast. It had become a ritual for the team to enjoy their meals together, as Casey had insisted it increased team spirit and moral. Chuck and Kayla didn't have much problems with it, but Morgan had sometimes complained about the hour, which mean he usually was the last one downstairs, today had been no different. It meant that the team was stuck with eating cereal now, as Morgan was seemingly the only one that could really cook anything. Apparently cooking wasn't something that they taught at the Farm.

He carefully took his eyes away from the bowl of cereal and threw a quick glance to the other side of the table, where Morgan and Kayla were apparently discussing some of the movies Morgan enjoyed watching, to his surprise Kayla had even seen some of the movies, and seemed to enjoy talking to the short bearded man. They both had a soft smile on their face, as they seemed to enjoy the flow of their conversation.

Looking over to the Major he could see he was in his usual morning ritual. Reading a whole bunch of newspapers, while drinking his blacker than black coffee. It was exactly this, that had Chuck wondering about why they were even here, the older man wasn't even participating in any conversations. He would have much rather been in bed right now. Though if he had gotten back to bed, he would probably have never got up again. He cursed the Major for coming up with the rigid training regime, even though he had agreed to it before.

The training though wasn't the most important thing on his mind, as he took another sip off his juice, before placing the glass back next to his bowl, all the while still holding on to his spoon, that was still placed inside the bowl. What was on his mind though, was the mission they had been on the night before. It had been an easy mission, and it seemed to have gotten them an in, into Borelli's organization. However he couldn't help but worry about his cover being compromised. He knew they were playing a high stake game, and this was a high risk gamble. One bad phone call and they would be in a world of problems, and with that a world of hurt.

Carefully chewing on another spoonful of cereal, he thought back to the concerns he had the night before when it had taken so long. It had been too much of a risk to go in as Carmichael, he knew that, and he cursed himself for it. He should have demanded a different cover from Beckman before going on this mission. His name was known in The Ring, he couldn't deny that. The uncomfortable feeling caused him to swallow his cereal down with some difficulty, as Morgan called out to him.

"Chuck?" He heard the short man say questioningly.

"Sorry buddy, zoned out a little there. You were saying?" He asked sheepishly.

"Kayla and I were thinking of going into the city today, since we have nothing planned. We were thinking that perhaps you wanted to tag along?" Morgan asked, giving his friend a small smile.

"Yeah sure, that sounds good." He stated returning the smile.

"What about you Casey?" The bearded one asked the experienced agent, with a hint of nerves in his voice.

"Not on your life moron, unless something happens I'm spending my day cleaning my guns." Casey stated gruffly. Causing Morgan to look at him incredulously.

"Come on why not?"

"Cause unlike what you might think moron, I'm not here on a vacation." He stated glaring at the shorter man.

"Come on Casey, there is nothing wrong with enjoying some down time. You don't seriously want to spent this whole assignment just going on missions and cleaning your guns do you?" Kayla chimed in, sounding slightly amused.

"Yeah Case, and I suppose watching the same Reagan documentary for the millionth time should bore you just a little." Chuck put in his own five cents.

The Major glared at them, and let out an inaudible growl, before returning to his newspapers. Causing the other three members of the team to laugh. Chuck was just about to re-engage in the conversation with Kayla and Morgan, when he felt his phone vibrate in his jeans pockets. Pulling it out he could see he had a message from Sarah, causing his eyebrow to arch. Opening the message, what he saw made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

_Go to our agreed personal emergency protocol…_

She was requesting him to call her on their last line of communication, a burn phone, only she, Chuck, and Casey knew the existence and the number off. It was to only be used at times when even their last lines off communication could possibly be compromised. It was something they had agreed upon years before, very early on in their co-operation, when it had seemed his involvement with the CIA would last a lot longer than either party had hoped.

Knowing that time was off the essence, he quickly excused himself, and started to dash off to his room. Causing the other people at the table to look at him with surprise. He didn't care, as he practically ran up the long winded stairs, his muscles screaming at the renewed effort. It only took him a minute to reach his room, that he had gotten quite accustomed to over the short time he had been in Italy.

Not wasting any time, he threw open his closet, and threw some stuff to the side, looking for the briefcase that contained his cover identities, several currencies, and the now much needed burn phone. Finding the small handle that was in the floor, he pulled aside part of the floor, and pulled out the small briefcase. He entered the code, and clicked it open, immediately moving his hand to take out the phone. Without giving it a second thought, he pressed speed dial one. It didn't take her more than a second to pick up.

"Chuck secure." He said with a tense voice.

"_Walker secure" She replied with a voice filled with concern and emotion. _

Taken a back by the unusual amount of emotion in her voice, his own worries grew.

"What's going on Sarah?" He said with his voice growing more tense every second.

"_Chuck I…" She started, taking a deep breath before continuing. "They took Ellie, Chuck." She finished her voice sounding unlike Chuck had ever heard before. _

"Oh My God." He replied, his heart filled with worry and concern. Panic and fear rushing through his body, as the news started to sink in. "Who? What happened?" He managed to stammer out. Fighting to prevent his knees from buckling, while blinking his eyes in order to fight back the tears.

"_I… I don't know. I'm so sorry Chuck. The Ring must have figured out who you are. Someone must have sold us out." She said remorsefully. _

"God Sarah, what are we going to do?" He brought out his voice cracking.

"_We are going to find her Chuck, and when we do we are going to destroy whoever did this. Meet me in San Diego, take the next flight. We'll rent a car to get to Burbank. Use the last passport that had us…" She said letting her voice drawl out. But he knew she was referring to the last passport that had their cover as married. "it should still be clean. Don't trust anyone Chuck, we have no idea who sold us out, but they have people watching us. If they find out you told anyone they are going to kill Ellie.." She finished, and at the tone in her voice he could hear the agent in her had taken over. _

"Okay Sarah. God I'm so scared." He croaked out, a small tear escaping his eye.

"_I know Chuck, we are going to get through this and save her Chuck, I promise. Remember ditch everything they can use to track you. I'll see you there." With that she ended the connection. _

Quickly he turned back to his closet, as he pulled out his suitcase. He immediately started throwing in pieces of clothing, not even processing what passed through his hands. All he could think about was his sister being in the hands of the Ring. All he could think about was that it was somehow his fault that she was now in this situation. If he hadn't downloaded the new intersect none of this would have happened and his sister would just be at home with Devon. Now though she was in danger, something she had always tried to keep him out of, something that had always been their goal to keep her out of ever since Bryce sent him the intersect. He couldn't help but feel guilt and fear because of this situation, causing a few tears to escape his eyes, as he threw his passport in his suitcase. Now going by the name of Dean Rogers, married to Lisa Rogers, he slammed the suitcase shut.

Taking a deep breath, before turning to leave, he was surprised to see Casey standing there, leaning against the doorway, looking at him intently.

"What's going on Chuck?" The experienced agent asked with a low voice.

"Look John, I want to tell you, but I can't." He replied apologetically, while trying to make his way out of the room, but the experienced agent moved in the way. "Damn it Casey, I don't have time for this." He said annoyed.

"I'm going to ask you again Carmichael, What Is Going On?" He said with a dangerous tone as he glared at the young agent.

"Nothing, now let me past."

"Not on your life moron."

Chuck glared at him for a second. He knew Sarah had told him not to tell anyone, and he knew that was probably because of her not trusting people around the team. But he figured that telling Casey wouldn't be the worst thing possible. So instead of continuing arguing, he motioned the NSA agent to follow him into the room, and close the door, while he himself took a seat on his bed.

"The Ring found out my identity, they took Ellie." He said, still not able to talk about it without the fear of the situation being in his voice.

He could see the Major's eyes widen. "And you just thought let's go in and rescue her alone? Or are you going to give yourself up? You do realize that they will kill you both if you do right?" Casey said gruffly.

"I know that Casey. I'm meeting up with Walker."

"And you were just going to leave me out of it? Damn it Chuck, we're supposed to be partners, and this definitely goes into the you need your partner category." Casey exclaimed as he started pacing the room.

"I know John. It's just… they are going to kill her if they find out I told anyone. I need you here to cover for us Casey." He said looking at the other man with soft pleading eyes.

He could see the Major looking at him questioningly.

"There are only a handful of people that know who I am Casey. So unless they somehow found Jill, it has to be Beckman or Shaw. Either that or Morgan spilled the beans against Kayla."

Casey looked at him for a second before speaking. "You don't really think that you and Walker can just walk into a highly secured Ring facility do you?"

Chuck shook his head sadly. "No I don't. But I don't see another way John. Unless… Well there is one thing I can do."

"You're not going to tell me, are you Bartowski?"

"Not yet. But I'll stay in touch. Just cover for me here." He said moving from the bed to the door.

"Fine." Casey huffed. "Just be careful Chuck."

As Chuck opened the door, he looked back and nodded towards the Agent that had been a mentor to him, and with that he left.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla was enjoying herself as she was walking through Rome with Morgan at her side, both enjoying themselves in the comfortable silence between them. She had not had a chance yet to really go into the city up until now, even during their down time she had not been given the chance to really go out yet, with all the training they had been doing, and the paper work she still had to do from her previous assignment. But now she finally had the chance, and it just gave her another reason to enjoy this assignment a little more. After all she had to admit that this city was something else.

They weren't even consciously doing any sightseeing, they were just strolling around, not really making any plans of where to go, and what to see, but still they had already passed several historic landmarks. Right now though they were on the look out for a small café to just sit down for a little while. Perhaps they could even eat some ice cream, she had always loved the Italian ice cream, ever since her parents had taken her there in her childhood. She would always remember those summers.

Now though she was there with her team. Well technically it wasn't her team, it was Carmichael's but still she was part of it, and she was really enjoying it. She hadn't been ordered yet to do any of the aspects of the job she had hated so much, like seduction missions or red ops. She had been grateful for Chuck's attitude towards those, just like it unsettled her just a little. The man was such an enigma, and there were so many secrets, about his name, his history, the reason he was recruited, what his major skill set was, and now he seemed to have disappeared on them. Not even Morgan had known where he had gone.

It was like the man had a double layer, it was like he was two people in one. On the one side he seemed like the loveable nerd, while in other moments he seemed this mysterious super agents, who did things his own way. Though what she had seen so far, he was successful, there was no use in denying that. He had easily convinced Borelli that he was a legitimate business partner, the eagerness of the Italian to get him on board had been enough showcase of that fact itself. But the secrets unnerved her. It almost made her question the man's integrity.

She glanced to her side, and she could see Morgan was taking in his surroundings with a light in his eyes. It was something else that unsettled her just a little, Morgan's attitude was so different to anything she had seen before, and his interest were definitely something other then what she usually encountered in this world. It just made her feel a little off, something she couldn't really explain.

As they turned another corner to walk in a small, but reasonable crowded street in the center of the city, she could see his eyes rest on something, and immediately she let her eyes follow suit. It was a beautiful little gelateria, with a beautiful setting of flowers in the nations colors spread out on the different tables, and along the edge of the terrace.

"Looks perfect doesn't it?" Morgan said, looking at her with his innocent almost naïve eyes.

"Definitely." She said while locking eyes with him for just a second, before they started walking towards it. "How did you even know about this place?"

"Well remember when I went out for a while couple of days ago, when you guys were all busy doing paperwork?"

"Yeah."

"Well I just love finding great places to eat, so I asked around a little, and some old Italian lady told me about this place. And I have to say, the ice cream they got here is really good." He said smiling softly at her.

"That sounds great Morg." She replied, as they took a seat at one of the tables.

It didn't take long before the young Italian waiter called Pietro came by to take their orders. Kayla ordered a combination of Chocolate, hazelnut, and nougat, while the short bearded man picked Chocolate, strawberry, and banana. Before they even had time to really get settled back in a comfortable conversation, the waiter came back with their orders. Without thinking even for just a second Kayla scooped some into her mouth. She was surprised by the taste of it.

"Wow Morg, this is just amazing." She said as the last remnants of the small scoop were melting on her tongue.

Morgan nodded at her with a smile. "I know. I was shocked to when I first tasted this."

"So this is why you didn't want any dinner?" She said with a small grin.

"I might have taken seconds, and thirds." He said with a slight shrug, causing her to laugh a little.

"You do realize that because of that, we had to eat Casey's cooking right?" She said still amused.

"Oh yeah I do. All the more reason to fill up on this delicious ice cream."

She shook her head a little in disbelief.

"You know Morg, I'm actually happy that neither Casey or Chuck tagged along with us today." She said smiling at him. Her remark seemed to take him a back a little.

"Yeah me too." He brought out as he seemed to recover.

They settled back into a comfortable conversation, as they ate their ice cream. Kayla couldn't help but be surprised at how easily she talked to Morgan, but she would be lying if she said she didn't like it. Suddenly though, her attention was diverted from the short man that was sitting in front of her as her phone started ringing. Glancing at the screen she saw that it was one of their superiors Special Agent Shaw.

"I'm sorry Morgan, but I have to take this." She said apologetically, as she got up from the table, and distanced herself just a little, accepting the call in the process. While Morgan just nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"Mitchells secure but in public." She stated in a professional voice.

"_Shaw secure." She heard from the other side. _

"_Listen Mitchells we just got word, it seems like Carmichael and Walker have gone rogue." Shaw stated with a low voice. _

"Wait, what? You are kidding." She said with disbelief in her voice. She couldn't believe it, had she been wrong about him? Had she judged him wrongly because of the innocence of his eyes? The same innocence she could see in those of Morgan, even if Carmichael's had seen more pain.

"_I don't joke about these things Mitchells. Do you even have any idea where he is?" He asked._

"No actually, we had trouble finding him earlier." She answered hesitantly. An uncomfortable feeling now gripping around her stomach.

"_Listen Mitchells, keep an eye on the rest of the team, they've been working together for a while now, they might be in on it. If you learn anything at all, contact me." He stated before he ended the connection. _

She stared at her phone in disbelief. She just couldn't believe what he had just told her. How could this great Agent go rogue all of a sudden? Though it did answer all the secrecy, she had just hoped it had to do with his past, and the lack of trust towards her, but now he was some rogue Agent possibly even working for the Ring, that was something else. Who else was in on this? Could Casey and Morgan be in on it too or was it just Chuck and Walker? Looking over at Morgan who gave her a small smile, she couldn't help but think that things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was fidgeting a little with the seam of her cotton jacket, as she was sitting on a small bench at the San Diego airport. She had already been in the city for hours, and had used some of the time to rent a car for the two of them to get into the Burbank area. But now she had settled herself on the uncomfortable plastic bench in the arrival terminal for flights coming in from Europe. She knew it wouldn't be long for him to arrive and it made her a little nervous.

She knew that right now Ellie had to be her focus. And in truth she had been utterly shocked, and had even experienced some fear and panic at first when she had heard that the young doctor had been taken, but slowly the Agent inside of her had taken over. Yeah she definitely was still worried about the woman she had long regarded as pretty much a close friend, or at least as close as she has ever had, and perhaps even a little as a sister, but she also knew that for now The Ring needed her alive. They'd lose their bargaining chip if they didn't.

The Agent inside of her had already scolded her for what she was doing. The right thing to do from a professional perspective would have been to take Chuck into a CIA secure facility, while they tried to find whoever leaked the information. Though if she was honest she could only think of one person that would be capable of it. She just couldn't imagine him doing that, even with all the weird behavior he had been showing. But as much as she should have put Chuck in some secure facility she knew that would have been a death warrant for Ellie, and she knew that both of the Bartowski siblings deserved more loyalty from her. It was exactly that kind of reasoning why she should have never been compromised.

Looking around herself, she tried to see if there was any imminent danger. But all she could see were happy families, and people waiting for loved ones. None of the people that were in the terminal seemed to be Rogue operatives, which was a good thing because the nerves about seeing him again were making her on edge, and definitely not at the top of her game.

Nerves about seeing someone was a new thing for her, or at least it had been in this context. She had to admit he had always made her feel unsettled, but till this had all started, she had always been good at saying goodbye. There had never been any reason to look back. But she had to admit that she had missed him more than she could have imagined. After her first anger and confusion had subsided, she had to admit that she had missed him like crazy, that he had changed her, and had become her touchstone, but above all she had to admit that she still loved him, despite the fact that she had been determined to fight it after everything that had happened. But after her outburst against Beckman, she knew, she knew that no matter what her feelings for him would always exist. She just wasn't sure if they could fix this, they had both been hurt so badly by each other. There was now such a painful history there, was there a way for them to rebuilt the foundation of trust they had? And even if there was, would he even still want that? Either way, this could be their last chance.

She knew it was a little selfish but at a certain emotional level, she was glad this thing with Ellie had happened, as it at least forced her and Chuck to get together. It gave them a chance to talk things through, to at the very least go their separate ways on better terms. She was determined to at least get her side of things out, and get some answers from him as well. For now though, she had to at least try to focus on saving Ellie. She would have to help him through this situation.

Noticing that Chuck's flight had arrived she got up, and started looking around the arrival terminal. It didn't take her eyes long to locate a familiar looking lanky nerd, with curly brown hair. Resting her eyes on his face, she locked eyes with him for just a second. She could see that his eyes lacked the spark they usually had, that there were definite worry lines across his face. He definitely looked tired, and worried, as he started making her way towards her. Still she couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face, as she saw him again.

As he started approaching her, she could see him plaster a smile on his face. To most people it would seem like he was happy to see her, his alleged wife, but to her it was clear that the smile was as fake as a watch you buy in some dark alley. Still she started zoning out a little on his face, ignoring most of what happened around her. She quickly scolded herself for it, as her eyes darted across the terminal, but there still seemed no real danger around.

When her eyes returned to the object of her concern, he had was only a few more steps away from her. A gap he closed within moments, causing them to look at each other awkwardly for a second, with their eyes locked. Both seemingly unsure on what to say. She was about to say something, when he surprised her by leaning down, cupping her face in the process. Despite the shock of what was happening, she closed her eyes, and started moving towards him, placing her hands on his back. He only shortly brushed her lips very softly, as she almost started losing herself in the moment, feeling warmth, and a surge of electricity coursing through her body, she considered deepening the kiss, but before she could he pulled back and enveloped her in a hug. She felt warm and safe in his arms, despite the tenseness she could feel in his body, she momentarily forgot the confusion about what had just happened, and the fear and panic about the situation. Just for a moment everything seemed right until he spoke, "For the cover." He whispered in her ear, causing her to nod slowly against his chest, as some disappointment stabbed in her chest.

He started pulling out of the embrace, and reluctantly she followed his lead. Somehow it always felt so right to be in his arms, and despite everything that had happened it still did. She locked eyes with him one more time, and she could see in them that the moment had lightened them just a little.

"It's good to see you again." She said honestly.

"Yeah." He replied shortly. "So ready to go?" He asked her, with a fake smile on his face.

She gave him a small nod, as she moved her hand towards his, intertwining her fingers with his, as they made their way to the exit, while she occasionally looked around to make sure they weren't being watched.

It didn't take them long to reach the parking lot, where she dragged him along towards the blue sedan she had rented. It was a perfectly neutral car, and it would be inconspicuous in most settings, which meant it was perfect for what they needed in their current situation.

Moving towards the car, she released his hand, as she moved to get into to car. She took her seat behind the steering wheel, while Chuck took place in the passenger seat. Not wasting any time, she darted out of the parking lot. An uncomfortable silence settling in the car. There was so much they needed to talk about, but she wasn't sure how she could bring it up, especially not with the current situation.

They drove the first fifteen minutes in silence, while she occasionally glanced to her side, to see him staring outside of the window. Seemingly completely zoned out and deep in thought about what was going on. She wanted to reassure him just a little.

"You know Chuck, it's going to be all right. We are going to get her out of there." She said trying to convince the both of them.

He looked at her with doubt in his eyes. "How can you be so sure of that Sarah?" he asked with a voice deep with concern and doubt.

"Because I think together we can handle anything Chuck." She said looking at him trying to convey the double meaning.

He snickered a little. "You mean like we handled this last year?" He said with a cynical voice.

"Look Chuck I know we made a lot of mistakes this last year, and we have a lot to talk about, but I'm sorry for what happened." She said with a sincere voice, switching her eyes between the road and the man sitting next to her.

He looked at her incredulously, "What are you saying Agent Walker?"

"I'm saying I made a mistake okay?" She stated slightly annoyed by his changed tone. "Shaw and trusting him with that information, and actually that whole relationship was a mistake." She said now fixing her own eyes back on the road.

"Right." He said obviously not believing her.

"Look you can say what you want Chuck, but it isn't like you were perfect this last year, now were you?" She said with a definite edge on her voice, glaring at him for a second.

He sighed a little, running his hand through is hair. "I suppose you are right." He finally said with a soft voice, as the features on his face softened. "I know I hurt you and Hannah with that situation. It's definitely something I'm not proud off. Actually I'm really sorry for hurting you." He said his voice still soft, and a definite sincerity in it.

"Thank you." She said the edge nearly gone from her voice.

A new silence settled over the car as she returned her focus to the road. This time the silence was a little more comfortable. She knew that even though there was a lot more to discuss, this probably wouldn't be the best time. She definitely needed to talk to him again about his red test, and Prague, but for now at least some cold was out of the air and she was grateful for it. It was some sort of start. A big part of her hoped that the soft kiss they had shared was not for the cover, but was his way of seeing if there was still something there. It was something else to talk about. But for now her head needed to be back in the game.

They had just settled in to the silence, when Chuck decided to interrupt it once more.

"I tried to contact my dad." He admitted softly from the other side of the car.

"You did what?" She almost shouted. "I told you to keep this quiet." She said glaring at him.

"I know that. But we can't do this alone Sarah." He said with a soft voice, not letting himself get riled up by her tone.

She sighed. "I suppose you're right Chuck. Are you sure no one got wind of you contacting him?"

"Look, my dad came up with this system, so I'm pretty sure it's safe. Besides I had to do something, this is a Ring facility Ellie's at Sarah, there will be more than just one guard."

She slowly nodded her head, she knew he was right. "So when is your dad meeting with us?" She asked him.

"Don't know, I'm not even sure he got the message." He said with uncertainty in his voice, as he turned his gaze to what was happening outside the car.

"Why not?" She asked him incredulously it seemed odd that he claimed to contact his dad without knowing if he got the message.

"It's a bit of a primitive system okay. But he'll know how to contact me when he gets the message, we'll just have to wait and see."

Nodding once more, she returned her eyes to the road. They could definitely use Orion's help, she knew that. She hoped that he would get the message in time, because time was definitely of the essence if they wanted to do this right.

X-X-X-X-X

Stephen Bartowski just arrived at his private base in Encino. It was their old family home, one he had bought back in a way from when his family had sold the place years before, for what he assumed was the money they needed for college, though he could in no way or form rule out that they needed it for food. He certainly wasn't proud of the fact that he had abandoned them all those years before, but he also knew that it had been the right thing to do. It was either that or uproot them, and effectively ruin their lives even more than what he had done by leaving in this way. But even though he knew it had been the right thing to do, it didn't mean he didn't feel any guilt because of it.

Another thing that he felt guilty about was not telling his children, not even Chuck, the real and whole story of him leaving. He had pretended towards Ellie that he had just been incapable of handling things, while he had told his son only half of the truth. Neither of them had any idea of Hartley or why their mother left. They had every right to know, but he just wasn't sure how to tell them. Not to mention that Chuck would have never left the CIA if he had known about his mother, he would have definitely gone to look for her, he was certain of it. If he did, all the sacrifices would have been for nothing.

He was actually just coming home from a trip to Moscow, where he had discussed things with his wife. They always had to plan those trips carefully, making sure Hartley was out of town on his business. Making sure none of Volkoff's lieutenants was anywhere close to them, so they could have some time alone. They needed it, they only met every few months.

Throwing the pile of newspapers that had gathered on his porch while he was gone on the small kitchen table, he went to make himself some coffee. Whistling a small tune while working on it. Somehow he felt himself drawn to the newspapers. He wasn't sure why, but he had a distinct urge to go through the add section, the section his kids would use to contact him if they somehow needed him. It was the only thing of use that had come from his son's involvement with the CIA, that he finally had the chance to be there again for his kids when they needed him. That he finally had the chance to be some what of a father figure for them again, even if he was absent most of the time, at least now he could come to their aid.

Looking through the different newspapers starting back at the newspapers from two weeks earlier, he carefully went through each and every one of them. The first thirteen were all clean off any messages from his children, and he felt himself relax just a little. Now having a mug of coffee in his hand, he took a sip from it, as he picked up the last paper and opened it. Immediately flipping through the pages, till his eyes rested on the page he was looking for. It didn't take him long to find that his son had sent him a message, deciphering the code, the message unsettled him deeply, and angered him to no end.

_Spy stuff, they took Ellie, call me…_

Which was followed by an unknown number, which he guessed was some sort of burn phone. He couldn't help the anger and worry that came over him. Worry about the fate of his daughter, anger because of the stupidity of his son, how could he still be involved in this world? Now all the sacrifices their family had made to keep the two of them safe had been for nothing. Trying to settle his temper, he took out his phone, took a deep breath, and dialed the number.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw had been having a good day so far. His plan seemed to fall into place every step he took. He just seemed in perfect control so far. Walker and The Intersect were now isolated, there were just a few more steps he had to take to complete his contingency plans. But for now he didn't seem to need it. However he would not let his revenge come down to chance. He was going to destroy Walker, regardless of his own survival she would not get out of this.

So far he had to admit he was having fun. He had never thought he would enjoy something so evil as this, even he had to admit that kidnapping an innocent civilian was more than evil, but if one civilian had to suffer for the sake of destroying the organization that had destroyed him, then so be it. Besides the fear in her eyes had somehow gave him some sort of enjoyment.

If he was honest with himself he hated the person he had become, but there just didn't seem to be a way back anymore. Something had snapped in him a long time ago. He had effectively become a remorseless person, but back then his anger had been aimed at a totally different group of people. Sadly the wrong group, but now, now he would focus them on a group he knew well enough to destroy in a lot less than the five years he had spent fighting The Ring. They would definitely regret that they had killed his wife, that they had killed his future.

Walking back inside after the walk he had just taken around the complex, always on a vigil look out for Walker, who he still considered a potential threat, he walked into the room that had become their common room. But right now he was there alone, while the other fifteen Ring agents were doing different job around the secure location. He wasn't sure yet if the fifteen would be enough, and he was considering calling in extra support. The question would be if he would get it, but with him presenting them with The Intersect could sway things in his favor.

Putting his feet on the table casually, he relaxed a little, closing his eyes just for a moment. But his moment of peace was rudely interrupted by his Ring phone going off.

"Shaw secure" He said gruffly.

"_Borelli secure" He heard a man say with a thick Italian accent._

"_I'm sorry to bother you Agent Shaw, but I have information pertaining The Intersect. The director told me to call you."_

"Well out with it man." He said annoyed.

"_I found someone that might be able to help you fix The Intersect. A man named Carmichael." The Italian stated with pride in his voice._

He couldn't belief what he was hearing. This man had worked with Carmichael in Rome? He scolded himself for not reading the last reports, but was more than happy with the new opportunity that was presented to him.

"Damn it man, Carmichael is CIA." He exclaimed.

"_You can't be serious senor Shaw." The Italian said with disbelief._

"Trust me Borelli. Now if you manage to destroy his team, we might be able to reward you." He spoke with a sinister voice.

"_I understand." He heard Borelli speak with a definite edge on his voice._

"Good, call me again when you have results." With that he ended the call.

"My day just keeps getting better and better." He muttered under his voice, as he once again closed his eyes to get some rest.


	8. Chapter 8

With a heavy sigh of frustration Chuck fell back on the bed in the seedy motel room they had rented for the duration of their rescue attempt. He had just spoken to his father, who had seemed livid. The older Bartowski hadn't said much, but even after all this time he could still read his father's tone like he was still a young boy. There was no doubt in his mind that his dad would let him have it when he would arrive. It was another thing he wasn't looking forward to.

There was no denying though that they needed him. They had hacked into several cctv systems across Burbank, but they had little luck so far, he was certain that his dad would have some kind of ace up his sleeve to solve this one. He wouldn't know what they could do if they didn't. Desperation was slowly taking more and more control of him, it was part of the reasoning behind him kissing Sarah.

In fairness he hadn't planned on kissing her, but when he had seen her, he had been reminded of the way only she could comfort him. He knew that holding her in his arms, kissing her again would give him the peace of mind he needed, even if it was for just a second. Admittedly a small part of him also wanted to know if what they had once shared was still there. Judging by the spark he had felt, he couldn't rule out that there was still something there. Not to mention that he was taken a back by the short conversation they had in the car. It was almost like she was signalling that she wanted to work things out.

If circumstances would have been different he might have considered talking things out between them. He might have just pushed on with the conversation that they had started in the car, but his mind and heart weren't in it at that time. Even if he had felt at peace in her arms, the worries and concerns had quickly returned. The same worries he was feeling now.

He really just had two major things he hoped. That she wasn't being tortured, and that they would find her in time.

With heavy eyes, from the lack of sleep and the jetlag making his head feel light, he looked over at the golden haired woman that was currently sitting behind the laptop she had been smart enough to bring with her. He had cursed himself for not remembering it himself, though they would have probably just checked everything together. He hadn't even wanted to give up his spot behind the thing, but she had insisted, stating he needed to have a short break. He knew she was right, he was in desperate need of some rest, but there was no way he was able to, not with this situation. The sheer thought of Ellie being locked up in some dark place making him almost lose his mind.

He had been trying to figure out who could have done this. Who could have possibly betrayed him like this. Ultimately the only two names it always came down to were Jill and Shaw. There was just no way that Casey, Sarah or Beckman would betray him like this. Sure Beckman would betray him by putting out a kill order for him, or sending him to some Bunker, but she was too loyal to the US and her duty to do this, but Shaw he was something different. He had always seemed different, and like there was something off.

Musing a little he spoke softly, while running his hand through his curls, "You know it's probably Shaw right?"

She carefully paused the footage she was checking, and turned around on her chair to face him. "Huh? What?" She said surprised in the process.

"Shaw. He's probably the one that sold us out." He stated again, with a weary voice.

"What makes you say that?" She asked surprised.

"Think about it, he's the only one that knows everything that could have done this." He said now sitting up on the bed.

"I don't know Chuck." She said hesitantly.

"Come on Sarah, who else could it have been?" He said now with a slightly more powerful voice.

"Well what about Jill or Beckman?" She said looking into his eyes.

"Oh please, if it was Jill it would have happened months ago. In fact if it had been Jill, Roark would have been after me in stead of Bryce, and Beckman is too much like Casey to betray her country."

"And Shaw just screams traitor or something?" She asked with a slight edge on her voice.

"Figures" Chuck muttered under his breath, as he fell back onto the bed again.

"What?" She said demandingly.

"It figures that you'd rather trust Shaw, or basically anyone than me. It figures that you'd stick up for your beloved boyfriend." He stated venomously while keeping his gaze on the grimy ceiling.

"First off he's not my boyfriend." She bit out, causing his eyes to widen. So it had been true when she had called that relationship a mistake. What happened there? He wondered silently. "Secondly I'm not sure because I know why he hates The Ring so much."

He raised himself a little on his lower arms, looking at her again. "Why is that?" He asked sceptically.

"Because The Ring killed his wife Chuck." She said with a very slight edge on her voice.

"Wow." He muttered softly. Not being entirely sure what to say, this was something he had not expected. He still couldn't think of it being someone other than Shaw though. Perhaps his hatred had been established on a lie, or misinformation.

They settled back in a slightly awkward silence, but as she started turning back again, he spoke up again.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked cautiously.

"Sure." She stated softly.

"What happened?" He asked again with a cautious voice.

"What do you mean?" She asked slightly confused.

"Between you and Shaw. What caused you two to break up?" He said now looking into her eyes again, trying to read her.

She was slight taken a back by his question, and took a few seconds before answering. He could see the slight change in her mood in her eyes. It was as if in this moment he was talking to the woman rather then the agent. "I figured that I was with him for all the wrong reasons. Besides when I had the time to think a little, I figured that he was not the man that I thought, and perhaps hoped he was."

"What do you mean?" He asked now sitting up right, and gazing into her eyes, that revealed that there was some deeper lying story.

She sighed, clearly uncomfortable in sharing her feelings. "It's just." She started hesitantly, before taking a deep breath to steady herself. "You really hurt me in Prague Chuck." She started, with some hint of moist in her eyes. "I know you are sorry." She said as she saw him opening his mouth. "But I did something I've never done before, really put everything including my heart on the line, and you didn't even have the decency to give me an explanation. And when you came back, you wanted it almost seemed to me like you wanted to act like nothing happened. And then you did the confession about why you did it, but even then you didn't even do it to my face. Hell if Carina hadn't given me the security footage, I wouldn't even have known till you wrote me that letter. And then when you started things with Hannah, I don't know it just added to the pain I was feeling. And I know during that time you deserved more from me Chuck, I honestly do, but I just couldn't, there was just too much pain, so I sought something familiar, something safe. I'm sorry for everything Chuck." She finished, now with a few stray tears running down her face.

He moved forward, trying to comfort her by wrapping his arms around her. He had never heard her be so open about anything, he had never really thought about how difficult it must have been for her to face him every day after that. He had never even considered giving her the space she needed to heal enough, for them to even think about getting together.

"It's ok." He whispered softly into her ear, as he moved his hand along her back soothingly.

After a few moments he could feel she had settled down again, and he pulled back from the hug to look her in her eyes. Softly he placed his hand on hers, as he was crouched down in front of her.

'Why don't I get you something to drink." He said softly. She nodded slowly in reply, wiping a few tears away from her eyes.

Chuck got up slowly, walking out of the room. The confusion of what just happened basically forcing him to go out for some air for a minute. He knew it would probably have been better to stay and talk, but he just needed to clear his head for a second.

Her confession had been unlike anything he had ever seen from Sarah. It was such openness, such vulnerability, it was actually all he had hoped to see from her for years, and now under these circumstances, in some seedy motel it came out. He just wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it an act, or did she really feel that way? The real problem was that he wasn't sure if he could trust her anymore. He wasn't sure if this was some way or ploy to try to manipulate and handle him again, or if she was just trying to make nice because her relationship with Shaw had ended, and there was even a twisted little part in him that questioned for a second if she was working with Shaw. He wanted to trust her, oh he really wanted to, but it would take more than just a few words, as open and honest as they might be to fix that.

Absentmindedly reaching the reception area, he turned towards the vending machine. Without thinking about it, he got them both a bottle of water, and headed back to their room. Making sure to look around before getting back. There didn't seem to anyone around, so he quickly opened the door, and made his way to the position he was sitting in only moments earlier. Silently he handed her the bottle.

She looked into his eyes, and he could she this was still the woman Sarah rather than the agent, "Thank you." She said softly, her voice still a bit hoarse.

He sat down, and screwed open the bottle he had in his hands, and took a big gulp out of it.

"Listen," He started with a soft voice, while trying to lock his eyes with hers. "I really appreciate how open you were with me. Honestly it's something I wanted you to do for years. But the problem is, I don't know if I can trust you anymore." He said with an apologetic voice. "I mean after everything that has happened between us these last months, after your lack of trust in me when I needed you to trust me the most. I just don't know if I can really trust you anymore."

"I understand." She said in an almost whisper, with a dejected look on her face. He was a little surprised with how easy she was taking the fact that he didn't trust her anymore, it had always been something fundamental between them, his trust in her. He had expected her to fight him on it, perhaps she really had been affected deeply by everything. In fairness he knew she deserved more from him as well, she definitely deserved to know the truth about everything, but he knew it was not the time for it.

"Look here's the thing, I think we should just focus on getting that trust back right now. Well that is after we save Ellie. Just become the friends again we used to be. And then who knows." He said with his soft brown eyes locked on her blue ones.

"Chuck I…" The blonde agent started, but before she could finish what she was about to say there was the distinct sound of someone rummaging with the door. Alarmed by the sudden noise, they looked at each other, and he could see that the agent had once again taken control.

"Crap, someone must have spotted you." She said in a harsh whisper, as she took her gun from her waistband and cocked it.

"Impossible, there wasn't even anyone out there." He whispered back. As he followed her lead and took out his tranq gun.

"Well obviously someone was." She hissed back, as she started pointing her gun towards the door, where the knob was now turning.

X-X-X-X-X

Ellie was still engulfed in darkness, her back twisted in discomfort from the metal chair she had been sitting in for what had to be days in her estimation. Though she had no idea of how many time had past, as time seems to go by in a blur, though she had drifted in and out of consciousness from time to time. Her head though had slowly been feeling better, the pounding of her head slowly subsiding into an uneasy feeling, that occasionally flared up in a slight stab, especially when someone entered the room, and light flooded her vicinity. She had taken to closing her eyes as soon as she heard someone approaching. Her nausea had slowly reduced as well.

The fear that had a hold on her since she had woken up was still there, but she could feel that most of the time the fear would subside a little. She had at least been able to handle it well enough to give her current situation some thought, and she thought she had figured some things out. Of course none of her captors would ever give her any straight answers, though granted she had only seen two so far, that had brought her something to eat, and had even released one of her hands from the cold hold of the cuffs, so she could feed herself. They had sat silently watching her eat, obviously enjoying how she felt. But still she was quite certain about a few things.

She had played the note over and over in her head, just like she had done with Sarah's initial response to hearing her speak, and she was certain the blonde woman was at least not on the side of those that had kidnapped her. It had been a relief, at least her brother had not been involved with some evil organisation, she figured. But then she had done some more deductions. The puzzle being her own companion in the darkness, and she had concluded that somehow her brother had to have something to do with this thing called The Intersect. There was just no other reason for her to be the one making the phone call, and the threatening of the sister. It also explained the weird situations her brother had been in the last few years, and the weirdness between him and Sarah might have had something to do with as well, at least so she suspected. She had no idea what the intersect was, but she was well pissed off at her brother for what he had gotten involved with. In fact, if she'd get out of this one, she'd kill him herself, if he had willingly chosen this. She just wished she could confirm this one.

Another hint for her had been the fact that she had not been tortured, or asked any questions. It was clear she was just bait, or a tool for them. If only she would get some answers from someone, it would give her the last assurance to place all of this. Even though her questions would not end there, there were so many questions, but she knew she would never get an answer on those from the people there.

Taking a moment to listen for approaching sounds, she was greeted with the familiar silence, combined with the occasional falling drop, from the leaking roof. It was driving her slightly insane. Even if it hadn't been their intent, it was almost torture for her. Luckily for her, she had lived in worse facilities after both of her parents had upped and left them. She could still remember the moulds that had plagued the first home they had moved into together. It was part of why she couldn't deny the charm of echo park. She loved the homely, cosy feel of it, even if she could afford something bigger.

Resigning in the situation, she settled back in her thoughts about what was happening. Her fear for herself in the nearest possible future had decreased, that was certain, but her fears for those she loved had grown. She really had hoped that she was somehow the only tie to Sarah, it was what her heart wanted in the moment she had read the note, but she knew now that it was probably a foolish thought. Her current hunch meant her brother was in danger, not to mention that she had no idea about her husbands safety. It was hard for her to just sit there and worry. She had never been the one to let it all happen to her, but for now she had no choice, she wasn't going anywhere. They had made sure of that.

Starting to feel a little hungry, she started listening to foot steps again, and this time she was greeted by them. A part of her was relieved, and it was something that almost sickened her. Some company, even an evil one that did not talk, was some comfort, a small reminder that there was still a world out there. Seeing light again, another comforting thing, even if it caused her head to throb a little in pain again. Not to mention that some hopefully warm food, always made her feel a little better.

Still even taking all of that in account, she could feel tension gripping her every time she knew someone would barge in there. She realised all too well that if they didn't need her anymore they would discard her. That they would have to dispose of her, her brother's constant movie watching had made sure she knew that.

It didn't take long for the person on the other side of the door to reach his destination, as she noticed the foot steps disappear. Moments later she was greeted by the now familiar sound of rusty steel grinding against rusty steel, as the bolt that was apparently secured on the other side of the metal door moved aside allowing the large metal door to move. As she had learned it was wise to close her eyes, so she shut them tight, making sure no light could get through. She could hear the door open, creaking loudly as it did. It almost made her suggest they'd oil it, but she knew better than to be a smartass to them.

Feeling the warm light filling the room, she slowly opened her eyes, allowing her eyes to adjust to the new situation. She was expecting to see the unnamed raven hair man that had greeted her with his silence so often, but instead she saw someone new. A young man, with dirty blond hair, about the same length of the man that had visited her so often till now, but this man's demeanour was different. She could see that he was young, she estimated that he was in his early 20's and he seemed uncomfortable. It surprised her that this kid was sent to her, she guessed it was his first time in such a situation, and a stab of sympathy hit her stomach. She could see in his eyes he didn't really want to be there.

The realisation hit her, that if she wanted answers this kid would be the one to get them from. There was even the slight possibility that she could take him down and try to escape. Though she had no illusions that she could get out of there, she had no idea how many men were out there, but she knew for certain it wouldn't be just these two.

Slowly he made her way to her, plate of some unknown combination of food that was hard to make out in his hands. He placed the plate on the small metal table, as he moved to free her hand. After having done so, he placed the plate in her lap. She locked eyes, with his surprisingly soft eyes, before speaking.

"Why am I here?" She asked with a pleading, desperate voice, that she used to try to work onto his emotions.

She could see a hint of conflict in his eyes, but he remained silent, so she kept on pleading to him. "Please just tell me, I… I won't get out, so please I need to know." She said while keeping her eyes locked on his.

She could see the struggle inside of him, as she took a few bites of her food, he opened his mouth a few times, though he closed them as many times. Quickly coming up with a plan, she decided to use something a lot of men have problems with, she would use her tears to play into his conscience.

Slowly she put down her fork, as she gradually started letting her eyes go misty. Without any problems she started breathing heavier, quickly followed by a few tears that started running down her face. "Please." She said in between sobs. "I just need to know." She cried out her head bowed down.

Glancing up, she could see him getting nervous, switching between looking at her, and at the door. Taking a deep breath, he stepped of the table he had been sitting on, and moved closer to her. "I'm really sorry, but I'm not sure." He said with a surprisingly shaky voice, that was almost emotional. She looked at him pleadingly, almost surprised by the innocence in his eyes, he looked at the door once more before continuing. "All I know is, they are after your brother, they haven't told me why." He said apologetically. "Now finish eating." He finished as he started getting up again.

She did as he said, and once again in complete silence she finished eating, now at least knowing she had been right about her brother, though she had no idea how he had gotten into it. With a deep sigh, she finished her meal, deciding that even with the slim chance of it working, she had to take a chance. She just couldn't sit around here anymore.

He approached her with a apologetic smile on his face, the small key of the cuffs back in his hand. Within moments he was crouched back down in front of her. It's now or never, she thought to herself, as she clenched her fist, ready to make her move.

X-X-X-X-X

Shaw was beginning to feel slightly uneasy. He wasn't even completely sure why, but not having heard anything from Walker, or any of the Agents that he had sent out around major transportation hubs looking for her and the intersect, surely played a role in it. Without a doubt he had figured she would try to make a move somehow. It was why he had been demanding extra man power. Extra man power he had finally received.

But the man power hadn't been on the level he had hoped it would be. There were some really young agents in the batch they had sent to him. Without a doubt, his own selection of 15men had been a group of cold hearted killers, all completely capable, with a wealth of experience, but of the ten extra men he had been sent, at least five seemed to be freshly recruited. Hell he had no idea how some of the kids they had sent him had come in contact with on organisation as the ring in the first place. But he knew one thing, he felt uncomfortable putting his life, and that of the rest of the agents on the shoulders of those youngsters. He just knew they spelled trouble. It was why he used them for jobs that didn't really matter for security purposes. In the mean time he would have to pressure the Director for some decent agents to be sent his way, no way he would settle for this. Not with the CIA's legendary enforcer and the intersect after him.

He knew there was another way to increase his chances of winning this battle. He had been planning to initiate this part of his plan later, he wanted to destroy Walker, but still be able to move inside CIA circles. Hell there was no way on earth he was giving that up as long as he could convince Beckman and the rest of the brass that he was some crazy loyal CIA operative. As long as they believed that he could get away with anything. What pleased him most, was that they had given him the perfect cover by killing his wife, and then telling him The Ring had been behind it. It was almost like they had tried to manipulate him into becoming some super agent, with only one goal, destroy The Ring. Kind of like he had tried to manipulate Bartowski and Walker. He figured it was just the Agency's way of doing things.

But now he would use The CIA to his immediate advantage. He knew Beckman would approve of any operation towards handling the Intersect, and capturing Walker if she just believed that they had gone rogue, something the general in question had always feared would happen. It was why she had given him permission to move towards destroying the bond between her and the intersect in the first place. It was why The Intersect had become the weapon it was now. In his mind it would only be fair for him to be able to use the weapon he created again, even if it was against his will, and against the people that had helped him create it. It was now his creation, and he would not let it slip through his fingers.

Now he could use Beckman's paranoia to his advantage, by letting her sent him some extra men. A team he could just sent out into the field to look out for Walker and the intersect. There was of course no way he would let them anywhere near a Ring facility, even if they were likely to burn it after this mission, the risks were too high. He would sent another team to Rome, to make sure that even if Borelli failed, they would be taken care off.

Taking out his old CIA issued phone, he dialled the General.

"_Beckman secure" He heard immediately as she picked up the phone._

"Shaw secure" He said with a cold professional voice. He wanted to talk but she beat him to it.

"_Where the hell are you and Walker, agent Shaw?" She practically shouted at him through the phone. _

"General, I was following some leads on an urgent situation. Sadly my fears have proven to be correct." He said solemnly, though he had a devious grin on his face.

"_Well what is it then?" She replied agitated. _

"General." He started, adding a pause for dramatic effect. "It is my understanding that Walker has taken The Intersect and has gone rogue."

"_What?" She shouted._

"I'm sorry general, but everything appears that way. She had completely dropped off the grid, as has The Intersect, and his sister. I've gone to Burbank to see if I can find any leads, I'm just short on manpower."

_She let out a sigh. "Arrange whatever you need Agent Shaw." She stated with determination._

"Thank you ma'am." He stated with a firm but almost humble voice, before continuing. "Also General, I'm going to have to sent some people to check up on the Roman team. We can't rule out their involvement. I've already spoken with Agent Mitchells, she's more than ready to be of assistance in securing the Intersect." Now smirking a little he finished. "Don't worry general, I'll get them." Before shutting the phone. Only a few more arrangements, and he would have the arrangements in order. And now there was no turning back for Walker. Regardless of the outcome, she had already lost.

Momentarily almost feeling happy enough to allow himself a real smile, he was shaken by commotion coming from up the stairs, he quickly turned his face back into his game face, and went to look what was happening.

X-X-X-X-X

Before she knew what was happening, Ellie thrusted her fist forward, causing it to collide with the nose of the man that had crouched down in front of her, a loud cracking noise emanating from it, as blood started coming out of the nostrils. The punch catching the man off guard, caused the small key to drop in front of the chair, just within the reach, as the man was lurched over, holding his nose, groaning and swearing loudly.

"You Bitch!" He shouted at her, in between groans, as he wobbled backwards on his feet. Stumbling against the metal table that occupied the room, causing his legs to give out from under neat him.

Not paying much attention to the young man, she grabbed the small metal key, and immediately went about the task of opening the locks. It was fortunate that her medical training helped her with such tasks, because nerves and adrenaline were rushing through her veins. Without thinking twice, she discarded the cold steel cuffs that had held her in her uncomfortable position for so long, and with a groan, and a moment of dizziness, she rose up from the chair. Hastily making her way out of the room, towards the light.

Reaching the doorway, she looked back at the man that was still holding his nose in agony, she had a moment that she wanted to apologize, saying they were both just victims here, but she knew she had to press on. Spurring herself on, she kept muttering "Come on, come on" under her breath, as she started making her way through the long hall way. She guessed it was some kind of warehouse, as her running feet echoed as they came in contact with the floor, running past the grey walls, with an occasional metal door, like the one that had sealed her room for so long.

Reaching the end of the hallway, she had to make a choice, she could go left or right, as in front of her was another metal door. She just hoped that the door didn't lead down to some stairs, as she turned to the right. Hoping, praying with despair that she had chosen the right way. Nervously she looked backwards. Knowing that there should be someone coming up to grab her.

She could hear her heart pounding like a hammer hitting an anvil, as she turned another corner. Trying to keep up the pace, despite the way her body was feeling. The time spent in the chair not being kind on her limbs. Reaching the end of that hallway, she reached what seemed like a metal overpass. Taking a quick moment to gain some composure, she could hear someone approaching behind her, while she heard someone shouting below.

Pushing her body again, she darted down the overpass, needing to make good time. She finally reached the end of it, and a stair that went down into an area with a bunch of crates. It gave her some hope, as she knew that perhaps she could hide between them, or use them as cover to leave this place. But every bit of hope, seemed to get pounded away by her feet hitting the metal steps. The sound resonating from the walls, and filling the room. Her breathing was getting heavier, as the fear only grew. But against better judgement she kept pressing on, knowing that there was no way back now.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she almost let out a sigh in relief, but that was till she saw him. A huge sickening and mocking smirk on his face, as if he was enjoying himself, while he was leaning on some crates at his side. Involuntarily her eyes made his way to his hand, where he was holding what looked like a gun.

Momentarily she looked back up the stairs, but she could see several of his man had now arrived there, while behind her in the large open space were some more, just like some had arrived next to the man that had visited her so often. Except for the one with the severely bleeding nose, they were all looking at her with a smirk on their face. Resigning in her fate, she waited for what was coming. The last thing she saw before her world went black again, was that man pulling the trigger.

X-X-X-X-X

They were both silently looking at the door, guns pointed at it, ready to take down anyone who would enter it. Both knowing full well that, if this was a Ring agent, they would not get out of this one alive, because no Ring agent that had been briefed on this situation would ever even thing about trying to take them on his own. But they would have to try.

Agonizingly slow the knob turned, as they both were as tense as a spring, their fingers almost squeezing the trigger of the gun in their hand. But when the door finally swung open, after what for them seemed like minutes, they both let out a huge sigh of relief. It was who a small part of him had hoped and almost expected it would be, it was the great spy Orion himself.

Lowering his gun, and seeing Sarah doing the same, with relief clearly visible on her face, he got up from the crouch position in front of the door, and went to greet his father. Who did not only look completely unphased by his welcome reception, but still had the scowl on his face that Chuck had feared he would have when he had called him clearly the drive over there had not done him any good.

Still Chuck couldn't resist enveloping his father in a hug, not only had it been far too long since he had last seen him, the situation with Ellie was still burning in his mind, and his dad was exactly the person that could fix it for them. If there was one man that could find her, it was him. His father coolly reciprocated the hug.

"It's good to see you dad." Chuck said as he started pulling back.

"Charles." His father said coolly, looking at him for just a moment, before turning his eyes to the blonde agent in the room for just a moment. "Agent Walker, what a surprise." He said sarcastically.

Chuck could see Sarah getting ready to retort, but Chuck beat her to it. "Come on dad, no need to treat her like that." He said trying to calm his father down by putting his hand on the older Bartowski's shoulder.

"No need?" he huffed glaring at his son. "Damn it Charles, without them in your life this would have never happened. What on earth are you doing with the CIA anyway?"

Chuck looked down, intimidated by his father's gaze, not wanting to admit to him that his work had been for nothing.

"Oh no, please tell me you didn't!" His father exclaimed. "Tell me you didn't download another intersect Charles."

He glanced up at his father momentarily, he knew the guilt was apparent in his eyes, and as on cue his father continued his rant.

"For crying out loud Charles, don't you see what you have done? All these years of your mother and me protecting you and your sister, and you've just ruined it all. Were you that desperate to prevent her," He stated almost venomously as he pointed at the blonde in the room. "around, that it caused you to pull the most boneheaded move of the century?"

"It wasn't like that dad." He almost whispered.

"Well then perhaps you can explain it to me, because right now I think I've traded in my son, and got a model with the mental capacity of those two weird guys singing at your sister's wedding."

Chuck let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his unruly hair, he knew this was going to happen. He didn't even want to tell his dad, but because of the situation there was no way out of it. It was almost like he was a kid again, getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar, almost, because now the stakes and consequences were far worse than a spoiled appetite.

"Dad, there was no one else. Bryce was shot, and the only way to have The Intersect to fight the Ring was to download it myself."

"Charles,-" His dad started interrupting him, but he still went on.

"I know you think that it wasn't my fight, and that they manipulated me into thinking that it was, but this has nothing to do with my feelings for Sarah. Not to mention that she was seriously pissed at me for doing it, and tried to get me to run away. So don't you dare blame this on her dad." He finished with a slight hint of anger in his voice, as he remembered his dad blaming Sarah as soon as he found out about the new download.

Stephen settled himself on the bed, with an annoyed expression on his face. Chuck could see that he was still upset about something, even if the harshness had softened just a little.

"You have no idea what you have done Charles." He stated wearily.

"I think I do dad."

"No you don't Charles. This isn't just about your involvement with them. Not only have you just ruined your sister's life…" He started, pausing while searching for the right words. "Charles there is more to the intersect than you think." He finished cautiously.

"What are you talking about dad?" Chuck asked, looking at his father's worried expression.

"The intersect, it overheats the brain. I'm not sure if we're still in time, but unless I fix it.. Well let's just say you are going to lose your mind son."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and judging by the look on Sarah's face, neither did she. So this was why his dad was so against this whole intersect idea. He had always thought it was because of the dangers of the spy life, not once did he think it would be down to his mental health. It only added to his worries, as if he didn't have enough of those already. How long did he have left before he would lose his mind?

"Do you know how to fix it?" he asked hesitantly.

His dad looked up at him, a gleam in his eyes. "Of course I do son. In case you forgot, I've got an intersect as well, so if I didn't I wouldn't be alive now would I?"

Chuck nodded slowly remembering his sister's wedding reception.

"It will have to wait, it seems like you're fine for now, so all our attention is going to be on saving your sister first, then we'll worry about everything else." Stephen said, getting back up from the bed, walking to the bag he had dropped upon entering the room.

"I take it you have an idea to find her mister Bartowski?" Sarah said, seemingly finally overcoming the shock of what she had just heard.

Looking at her with a grin, "Of course I do." With that he took out one of his infamous Orion computers and went to work.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla had been on edge ever since Shaw had called her. Somehow it had really unsettled her to hear what he claimed her team leader had done. She wasn't even sure why, but she wrote it down to the fact that he had seemed so different than any other spy she had ever met, that she just couldn't imagine this. It had unsettled her enough for Morgan to even question if she was okay. She had shrugged it off, and actually had gone on to have a lovely after noon with him in Rome, but it was definitely constantly nagging in the back of her mind. Had she really lost her touch enough to miss something this big? She just couldn't be sure about anything then.

It had gotten to her enough to make it hard for her to sleep, so now she was nestled into the sofa, her iPod filling her ears with the soft tones of Bon Iver. A band she had first heard in some television show she had watched in between assignments. But she had instantly taken a liking to them. She tried to use the music to bring peace to her mind, and perhaps let her doze back to sleep. But so far her thoughts kept her awake, though she came close to falling a sleep at times.

It flustered her how an assignment that had seen so amazing, working with the great Carmichael, in such a beautiful city, and with such a beautiful base, could turn out this way. It was quite the opposite from what she had hoped. It was enough to bring the doubts back about this life, it was enough to bring back a desire to quit. Now even more so than before. After all if you can't even trust a man like Chuck anymore, and a great agent like Walker then who can you trust? Would Beckman turn on them next? Or perhaps this Shaw figure she only knew a little from a few phone conversations. She wasn't so sure if she still wanted to work through all of that. She wasn't sure if she would keep her sanity.

She still had a few months on her contract, enough time for her to die, or to burn out. Enough time to create such enemies that even if she wanted to she couldn't quit. It was one of the ways that she knew off that the CIA used to keep it's agents in line. Just pressure them with possible threats to loved ones, and it would be easy to get people to stay with the agency. Spies might not fall in love by rule, but rules are meant to be broken after all, especially when they don't apply to you anymore. Not to mention that family seemed to be fair game. She couldn't bare the thought of an organisation like The Ring coming after her family. It would be enough for her to go rogue.

Then it finally struck her, as she sat up on the sofa, now not so interested in the whole sleeping idea. What if there was more going on with Chuck going rogue? He was an infamous figure, if The Ring found out his true identity, she shuddered at the thought of what could happen. They would not shy away from using any means they could to destroy him, or get him to work for them. Not with his extensive knowledge of this intersect thing. She knew that if anyone would know, it would be Casey. It would be foolish for Chuck to tell Morgan, everybody could see that he would be the weak link, not to mention he wouldn't catch it if he tried to sneak away, but Casey is a different story. He was experienced enough to catch anything.

Rising from the sofa, she decided she would ask the older agent a few questions. Hoping that somehow, she would be able to read his responses enough, to conclude if he knew what was going on, and if so what that was. She realised he would well be angry if she would wake him up this early, but she didn't care. Still to be on the safe side, she would pretend to just be a worried partner about a missing team member. The experienced agent would never be able to scold her for that.

It didn't take her long to walk through the beautiful villa, that had obviously been built with no expense spared, with all the marble that was present in abundance. Without hesitation she walked into the major's bedroom. Without surprise it was quite bare, except for a picture of Reagan. Equally unsurprising to her, the major shifted slightly, even though she had done her best to be as quiet as possible. Continuing, she sat down on the bed, and lightly shook the major trying to wake him up. It didn't take long, as he woke up with a groan, instantly looking for his weapon, till he saw who had woken him up.

"What do you want Mitchells?" He said gruffly, clearly annoyed be being woken up.

"I'm worried about Chuck, John. He hasn't come home yet, what if he's been taken or something." She said trying to fulfil her part of the worried partner.

"Great." He muttered. "Another Walker."

Having a hunch what he meant, she gave him a pointed look. "For crying out loud John, your partner might have been taken and you start about lady feelings?"

"Fine." He huffed annoyed as he sat up straight.

"So you have no idea where he went?" She asked with a soft voice. While he just grunted in response.

"Come on Casey, you can tell me if you know something."

"What is it to you anyway Mitchells? If there was some mission you'd have been told." He said still with an annoyed voice.

"Like you are only partners on missions." She retorted.

He glared at her. "As the situation is currently, that is definitely the case. Just drop this already Mitchells."

She sighed, not wanting to go around in circles. Something was going on, she knew that much, and bad enough for him not to trust her. But that didn't help her much. She was trying to think of a new way to approach the topic, when her phone rang, surprisingly it was Beckman. She left the room without saying a word, and quickly answered.

"Mitchells secure" She said coolly.

"_Beckman secure." The general said tensely. _

"_Listen Mitchells, I need you to keep me up to date with the Carmichael situation. I don't care what you do, but find out where they are." The red haired woman said with a demanding voice. _

"I understand ma'am. I was actually just asking the major if he knew more." She replied curtly.

"_Good, this is the most important mission of your life Mitchells don't screw it up." And with that she ended the connection. _

She was left staring at her phone in disbelief. What on earth was going on here? To be called by a General, about an agent that had gone rogue. There had to be something more to this agent, even when it came to the rogue operatives she'd usually just dealt with people like Shaw. There could only be one conclusion the higher brass had certainly been riled up about this situation. Somehow Carmichael was of such importance that even Beckman had to worry about something. She didn't dare think it, but what if it had to do with the intersect? What if Carmichael was the intersect? That would explain so much.

She was determined to confront Casey about her new idea. But just as she started setting foot in his room, the alarms in the villa started blaring. Just the thing any operative didn't like hearing, a breach of there base of operations.

Walking into Casey's room, she could already see him dressed in black jeans, and an equally black shirt, holding an assault rifle he had clearly stored in his room. Taking another one from underneath his bed, he threw the M4 to her, along with a few magazines.

"Any idea what's going on?" She said, with some tensity in her voice, as she checked her weapon.

"No but we're about to find out." He replied as he opened up a small panel next to his door, revealing a small screen. The screen showed at least a dozen large vehicles driving towards the mansion.

"Good thing it's a long drive way." Kayla remarked.

Casey glared at her, before speaking. "Listen, you get the moron, and instruct him to prepare to scuttle the house. The meet me downstairs to buy him some time." Without waiting for a response he dashed past her down the stairs, leaving her to make sure Morgan knew what to do.

She swung the weapon around her shoulder, and walked towards Morgan's room, and barged in, not wanting to waste any time. To her relief, a confused looking Morgan was already up and dressed, though he clearly had no idea what to do. Quickly she made her way over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen Morgan, remember the emergency protocols we went over a few days ago?" She asked trying not to sound to tense, despite the situation.

He seemingly could only nod, so she continued. "I need you to go into The Cave, and prepare procedure three. Casey and I will buy you some time, and meet you down there."

She could see his eyes widen, he clearly remembered what she was asking him to do. "Okay." He croaked out.

They glanced at each other for another second, before they both darted out of the room, both now certain what they had to do. It didn't take her long to reach the stairs, glancing back she could see that Morgan was now slightly lacking behind. Knowing that she didn't have time to talk to him when they got down stairs, she yelled at him. "Hurry up Morg." While she started going down the stairs.

As she reached the half way point, she looked back once more, calling out to him again. "Come on Morg. And be careful."

With that, she decided that she had to hurry up even more, as she heard the first bullets starting to hit the outer walls. It was moments like those that she was grateful for the fact that the CIA had reinforced them, like they did with most of their bases. The glass though, with the right type of rounds, could still ultimately be penetrated, not to mention the fact that with their superior numbers it would only be a matter of time until they breached the mansion itself.

Finally reaching the major, she could already see him firing a few rounds off in quick succession. She was surprised to see him with a huge grin on his face, obviously he was enjoying the gunplay that had been granted to him.

"Go lay down fire from the other corridor." He yelled at her, never taking his eyes of whoever he was firing at.

She knew better than to say anything, and there really was no need, so once again she started running. Her breath slightly heavier, and her feet sometimes creaking against the marble floor. It didn't take her long though to find a good firing position, covering the most important way towards the main door.

Despite not having a good complete view of what was happening she could see dozens of enemy agents outside, most of them were in hiding but would occasionally pop up, to fire of a few rounds. Every time they did they would be met by a burst from either Casey or Kayla. Both unrelenting in their defence of what had almost become their home. Though she was glad that Casey had no idea she referred to it that way.

On several occasions, she had to dive down for cover, and within minutes the glass of the windows around her had been shot to pieces, giving her several small glass cuts on her hands, and even a few on her face. She glanced over to Casey for a second, and she could still see that same almost manic grin on his face, as he seemed to keep up the relentless fire, shard of glass covering him as well.

Almost immediately though, her focus was brought back to the people outside of the building, as a round penetrated the walls behind her, causing the plastering to scatter in all directions. She could see several of the enemy moving away from the door, with several bags on their back. Clearly they intended to blow themselves inside, and she knew there was little time left before they had to get out of there.

"Casey they are going to try to breach the walls" She yelled loudly at the major as she started replacing her now empty magazine with a fresh one.

He looked at her, and gave her a nod, telling her that he had heard, and knew what was going on, before they both resumed firing. It was then that she saw one of the Italians stand up, with a weapon she did not want to see. He was holding an RPG, a weapon she had encountered in the field before, it had blown one of her contacts to pieces, before they could even fire a single shot. Torn between warning her partner, and shooting the man, she tried to do both at the same time.

"Casey, Look out RPG!" She yelled at the top of her voice, as she fired two rounds into the man, but she was too late, as the man had already fired towards the major. The next few seconds were a blur, as she could see the explosive penetrate the wall, and before she knew it there was a huge explosion, followed by a sea of dust, and an eerie silence.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was sitting in the front seat of the car Orion had used to get to the motel. For some reason or the other he had insisted they use his car, saying they'd be less likely to be discovered in his car. And she figured he was probably right, though it made her feel somewhat uneasy not to be behind the wheel herself. Tension was easily felt in the car, all three agents feeling the situation in their bones, and clearly on edge. Even Chuck was almost silent, which was a surprise.

It had been of little surprise to her to see that Orion had no problem finding his daughter. Nor did he have any problems seeing how many agents were apparently around the ring facility. It wasn't anything unsettling, although being outnumbered, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary to face about 20agents. In fact, it was something she used to do on a daily bases, in her enforcer days. Days she definitely didn't miss, but an experience that would help stay alive in her current situation. And hopefully she could keep him alive another mission as well.

Though she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to the CIA, hell she wasn't sure if she was able to. Shaw had probably spread plenty of lies about them now. Maybe it would be for the best though. Perhaps there was a way for her to start her life fresh and new, and perhaps without their interference she could work things out with Chuck.

It hadn't been a surprise to her to hear him say he didn't trust her anymore. Hell she couldn't blame him for it, and of course she had read his letter. But she had to admit it stung a little to hear him say it. She wondered what had gone through his head through her confession. She wondered if perhaps he had thought she was manipulating him somehow, after all she had done that so many times, and had gone back on her word so many times. It almost made her heart break when she thought about it.

What had surprised her was the fact that he had stood up against his father when he had tried to blame her and the CIA for him downloading the intersect. She always loved that side of him, although it was a rare sight, but it always made her feel a little warmer, and made her heart flutter a little. This time had been no different. She had to resist the urge to kiss him, she knew he needed time, she knew they needed time. But she had already decided she would not let him go this time. She would not let him down again. Regardless of what he might think, they would be in this together. After all the time apart had shown her one thing, she needed him more than she had ever needed someone else. The fear was still there, but the determination to get it right went a long with it.

Looking back at the man she undeniable loved, she could see the contours of his face more tense than she had ever seen them. His eyes revealed a fear, both for the situation, and for his sister. She could see the same fear in the eyes of the man next to her. It wouldn't even surprise her if she had the same fear as well.

Reaching the outskirts of the small complex that housed The Ring facility, she could only think about what they could have possibly done to Ellie. She feared for it. She knew after all what an Agent was capable off. If her worst fears would be true, it might even be better not to save Ellie, or just take her out of her misery. But she couldn't think that way, for him, and for the woman that had been like a sister to her, she needed to fight, and she would.

Getting out of the car, she looked at the two silent men that were with her, as she once again checked her gun. "Let's go." She said trying to hide her own fears, as they started going towards the warehouse that held one of their dearest people.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Red Test**

Kayla was trying to keep herself composed, as the dust filled her nostrils, and pricked her eyes. The only thing that she could rely upon not to freak out was her training, so she tried to fall back on those days.

So far the only thing that had filled her ears the first seconds after the explosion had been the complete and utter silence, something she had always enjoyed but now just freaked her out. She really wanted to hear her partner scramble back upon his feet, or hear him shout out to her that he was ok. But as much as she listened all she was greeted by was the silence.

Ultimately the silence was broken, by the sound of bullets penetrating the walls around her, as she could hear a few yells and screams coming from the Italians. She could even make out the distinct sound of a male laugh, which caused her blood to boil. Knowing that they probably were laughing about the possible death of her partner, could have caused her to go in a frenzy. It once did, when her former partner had been hurt, but now she just knew she had to get to the other side.

Getting up on her feet, she ducked down as she ran to the other side, as the dust finally began to settle a little. Still it was hard to make out the contours of the major, with all the debris, and dust still clouding her vision. As she neared him up to 5yards, she could hear a soft groan coming from him, as he seemed to compose himself. Sitting back up as he ran his hands over his face.

She couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips as she slid herself in front of the older agent. Looking him over carefully she could see several bruises already forming on his face, from what she assumed were hits from the debris, but what worried her more were the deep cut on his left arm, and the slightly distant glazy look in his eyes.

Knowing she had to take control of the situation, she took a firm grasp on his shoulders, before talking. "Come on John, we got to get out of here." She stated softly, but with a commanding voice.

He grunted in response, as he tried to raise himself to his feet, while still clutching to his assault rifle. To her it seemed like he was a bit wobbly, so she immediately reached out with her free hand, and started supporting him. With a small struggle, while she occasionally shot a few rounds back at the way they came from, they reached the Cave entrance behind the lobby. Despite the pressure of the situation, she had little problem flicking the light switch in the right order, to cause the floor to open.

As they started to descend the stairs, she could feel the older agent regaining some of his composure, as he started leaning more and more on his own feet. She couldn't help but feel relieved she might not be in this alone anymore, that the burden of protecting them would not fall just upon her shoulders.

As the door behind them finally closed, hiding once again the base that had served them and the many teams before them so well, she could hear the sounds of explosions rattling through the house, accompanied by the distinct noise coming from debris colliding with the floors. It caused her to pick up the pace slightly, as she could feel Casey's breath level out a little more which each step.

Finally reaching the base section of the building, she saw Morgan anxiously filling up some black back packs, he himself now also dressed in full black clothing. And again she couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief wash over her, as she was grateful that the man had at least remembered their emergency protocol. That he had at least saved them the time.

"You almost done here Morg?" She said with a somewhat tense voice.

He glanced at them, his eyes widening a little at the sight of the major. "What happened to him?" He asked with a concerned voice.

"Nothing serious, now are we ready to go?" The older agent said gruffly.

"Almost, just let me do these two little things." He said as he walked over to the console, and typed a few more commands. "There, we got five minutes to get out of here." He said, while he looked at them, meanwhile strapping one of the back packs on. Walking away from the table, he handed one to each of the two agents, as they started making their way to the built in escape route.

It didn't take them long to reach the escape route, which would lead them into the woods a few miles from town. It had been one of the reasons for the CIA to buy this place, and convert it in their local office. Now the three people in the room were grateful for the CIA's prudence in choosing it's location.

Without hesitation Kayla pulled open the big metal door that would lead them to safety. The long corridor that arched up slightly was dimly lit, and even had it's own power source, in case someone would cut off power to the mansion. It was narrow, but it was still better than having to crawl through air ducts.

Finally reaching the end of the corridor, with only a minute left to spare, she pulled down a small lever. Slowly the ceiling made way for the late morning sky. The thick leaf canopy of the forest, allowing a few rays of sunlight to fall through. Rays that instantly warmed her body a little, and helped her mind come to peace.

Needing to take a short break, they sat down in silence, as soon as they had finally cleared the last few feet of what had been their base. A base that had served them shortly, but well. It was what she had gotten used to, burning bridges. A far cry from the stable life she had once experienced. She could see the tenseness in the eyes of her comrades, the same tenseness she was sure she had in her own. It had been present inside of her since the alarms had started blaring through the house. Now all that remained was silence till an explosion would fill the air.

It didn't take long before the sound of a huge explosion filled the area. Their view was obstructed by the trees around them, which was slightly comforting as it meant that there was very little chance they would be seen. Taking in the fact that their mission had just probably ended, she turned once more to her partner, who's arm was still bleeding.

Throwing off the back pack she had been given, she rifled through it, looking for a small field first aid kit. She would have to clean out, and stitch the wound. Finally finding it, she walked over to the major, who was sitting on the ground going through is own back pack, taking out several clips for his assault rifle, and side arm.

She sat down next to him, and spoke softly. "Let me take care of that cut John."

He gave her a silent nod, as he continued taking stock of what they had with them, as she went to work.

X-X-X-X-X

Silently they made their way through the darkness of the night. The clouded sky adding to the darkness. It matched how the three spies that were approaching the Ring facility were feeling. The only sounds filling the darkness were the sounds of their rhythmic and slightly heavier breathing, and the sound of their feet grinding against the dirt.

Chuck could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his mind constantly switching between what could happen to his sister, and what could happen to them. Despite all of the experience he had amassed over the recent years, he had a lot of trouble to prevent himself from freaking out. Every now and then he glanced over to his two companions, he could see that they felt similar. From what he could make out in the darkness, he even noticed that Sarah's face was more tense than he had seen before. Not even the Longshore situation had gotten such a response from her.

As they started to really come close to the fence that surrounded the complex, Orion motioned them to halt their movement. Knowing the seasoned agent wouldn't force them to stop without reason, they knelt in the dirt, as both Chuck and Sarah eyed the slightly older man with curiosity. Without saying a word, he moved his sleeve up a little, revealing his trusted wrist computer. They could see him enter a few commands, before he returned the garment back in it's original position.

"Camera's" He whispered so soft that Chuck had to make an effort to even make it out. With that Orion raised back on his feet, and once again started moving towards the fence, forcing the two younger spies to follow after him, while all three of them kept looking around them. All scared that they would be spotted, and it would be game over. Though Chuck realised that it would only really be the end of Sarah. His father and he himself would be valuable for any Ring agent to shoot. Not that being captured by The Ring would be a fate better than death. Actually he was pretty sure he would rather die.

While still trying to keep his mind from going to the fears that were coursing through his whole being, they reached the fence. As if nothing had ever split their team up, he instantly threw his backpack from his back, and quickly found the wire cutters she had brought with her from Langley. He was glad she had been the wiser one of the two, as she had actually been smart enough to think things through slightly before rushing to the other side off the country.

It didn't take her long to cut a gap in the fence that would be big enough for them to crawl through, but still would be hopefully too small for anyone to notice. Silently she handed the cutters back, which he returned to it's previous place. He could see her throw her own backpack off, and in a small ditch, before she started crawling through the fence quickly followed by his father.

He himself checked one more time if he had all he would probably need with him. When he was quite certain he did, he closed the bag, and threw it with the other one that had belonged to them. Then he started crawling through the fence himself. Scraping his hands and knees on the ground, while he could feel his side scrape past the fence a little.

It was only a few more yards, before they would reach the only viable entranceway. He could see Sarah looking around the area, before she turned back to the two men. "Ok we'll go across one by one." She whispered. "Just make sure to cover." She added with a nod. Before either men could respond, she started crossing to the entrance, making sure to keep low as she did.

He could see that she immediately took a defensive position, her beloved Smith and Wesson out and ready, as her eyes seemingly kept darting across the terrain. He himself gripped his tranq gun tightly, as his father started making his way across.

His father had only made it half way when Chuck could see a sentry starting to turn the corner towards where they would be entering the building. Knowing that time was off the essence, he aligned his weapon with his target, taking a quick deep breath, making sure to steady his breathing, before squeezing the trigger lightly, firing two darts in quick succession.

A soft sound resonated from his weapon, as the darts left the barrel, both seemingly hitting the agent that was dressed in jeans, and a simple cotton summer jacket. He could see the agent moving his hand to his shoulder area, probably surprised by what had just happened, before he fell to the ground. A soft dud filling the night sky, as the agent hit the dirt. It was definitely not the plan to start taking men out so early, but he had no choice in the matter.

Signalling to Sarah before he went over, he dashed over to the man that he had just incapacitated. He knew he needed to move him out of sight, in the hope no one would find him, or miss him. Perhaps they would be able to get deep inside the facility without anyone spotting them. Within seconds he reached the man, but he had no idea where he would have to take him.

It didn't take Sarah long to join him, both looked at each other for a second, communicating a little without words. Both knowing that they were lucky that they had spotted him in time.

"We need to drag him over there." She whispered at him, while she pointed at some bushes.

He nodded before speaking. "Take his feet." He simply stated.

It didn't take them long to drag him relatively out of sight. A Ring agent would have to look at the bushes for a few seconds to find the man. They just hoped by the time they would, that they would be out of there, with Ellie in their safe hands. And if not, then with having at least gotten revenge for what they had done.

Silently they ran to where Orion was waiting for them, clearly on edge. When they reached him, they all seemed to take a second to steady themselves, for what they feared would be one of the biggest and most important fights of their lives. There would be no second chances on this one.

Slowly Chuck opened the door, while peering through the ever widening opening. Trying to make out any possible enemy operatives. As the door finally opened far enough for them to slip through, they did exactly that, before closing it. Looking around they saw a large number of crates, though they had no idea what they contained, he was certain that it wouldn't be good news. It unnerved him that they had to ignore it, and that The Ring would more than likely get away with it.

They started making their way through the maze of crates, but didn't get far, before they were greeted by stairs leading up, while there was still a significant part of the complex on the ground floor behind them. Looking questioningly at the other two agents, he waited for them to speak. As this was the part where they had more experience, and his mind was too filled with worry to formulate a plan.

"Chuck," Sarah started, her cobalt blue eyes fixed on his, "you and your father go upstairs, I'll take down here."

His eyes glanced over the stairs as he took a deep breath, then turned back to her. "Ok." He whispered back. Looking into her eyes, he wasn't sure what to do. He realised this could be the last time he saw her, he didn't want to end it like this. Not the way it had been between them over the last months. But he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do so he just spoke "Just be careful." He finally said in a hushed voice, as he and his father got out of their crouch position to move again.

But just as he was about to move he felt someone grab his collar, and spin him around by his arm. Before he realised what had happened, he could feel her lips crash upon his own. He wanted to pull her in closer, and deepen the kiss as he forgot where they were in the moment, but just as he was about to move his hands to pull her in, she broke away. Forcing him to look in her eyes. He could see the same worries and confusion in them, as he had felt himself. It was unlike anything he had seen in those cobalt blues orbs before. "Stay safe Chuck." She ultimately said, as she moved into the darkness of the warehouse, and he and his father moved upstairs.

X-X-X-X-X

She had put some distance between her and her team, shortly after she had taken care of Casey's injuries. It had surprised her a little, how deep the cut actually was. She expected that there would be a scar once it had healed. His other injuries had not been as bad, though she did have the suspicion he had a slight concussion, he seemed to be a lot sharper now. Just like she had felt, and seen his footing return, she saw the fire and determination in him return, which was something she was thankful for.

Now though she had distanced herself, under the guise of wanting to take a look if someone was following them. There were too many questions running through her mind. How and why The Ring's supplier had suddenly gotten wind of what they were truly doing there. She figured someone must have ratted them out, and the most logical suspect would have been Chuck. There was just one problem with that theory, and that was that she could just not imagine him being a traitor, let alone someone that would cause the death of his own team. She knew after all that the lanky nerd was against killing. So why then would he kill people that had been loyal to him?

In truth, she had planned to see if she could reach Shaw, and arrange for some back up to get them out of this situation safely. But she wasn't sure if she could anymore. The more distant she put between herself and the two men that were in the small forest with her, the more she began to grow uneasy with that idea. She didn't know why, but she wasn't so certain anymore about trusting either him or Beckman, after what had just happened.

Realising there was only one way to get the answers she sought, she decided to go back to Casey and get the answers. He knew more, she was certain of it. And no matter what she needed to do she would get answers.

She left the crest of the hill she had been occupying for the last few minutes, and went back to her team. Glancing over her shoulders from time to time, to make sure that there wasn't anyone around. Not only didn't she want any Ring agent or one of Borelli's henchmen to find them, she knew in her dirty grimy clothing, she was a strange sight. It would look rather suspicious.

After a few minutes she almost reached the small area they had settled down in for the moment. She could see Casey sitting on a small log with his back towards her, while Morgan sat on a similar one a few feet away from him. As she closed the gap, she accidentally stood on a small twig, causing it to snap. The sound immediately alarmed the major, who spun around, his weapon ready to fire.

When he saw who it was, he put the safety back on. "You got to work on your movement Mitchells." He stated gruffly, before turning back.

She glared at his back. "At least they need to hear me before they spot me major." She bit back.

"What are you saying Mitchells?" He asked threateningly.

"I'm just saying, it kind of looks like you let yourself go a little Casey." She said with a small smirk, as she settled on a rock across from the major. He was about to talk again, but she interrupted. "Look that's not what I want to talk about John." She stated earnestly.

He gave her a small grunt in reply causing her to sit forward a little. "Listen John either you tell me what's going on with Chuck, or I'm going to call Shaw to help us. I need to know who I can trust John, and to do that I need to know the truth." She said softly, as she settled her gaze on his.

She could see a flare of anger in his eyes, as he shifted a little uncomfortable. He sighed a little while he clearly thought about what he could say. To add to her earlier position, she started playing around with her phone. "What do you know, the middle off the woods and still got a reception." She mused out loud, with a small smirk on her face. To her satisfaction, she could see she had gotten to him.

"Fine" He huffed. "What do you want to know Mitchells?"

"I already told you John, I want the truth. I'm done with all the secrecy. I'm not going to get holes shot in me for the sake of the wrong side. So give me the professional courtesy, and tell me the whole story. You can start with telling me where Chuck is."

Casey hesitated a little before finally speaking. "Chuck went to safe his sister."

She was about to speak again, when she was interrupted by Morgan. "What?" He exclaimed loudly.

Ignoring the bearded man, she pressed on with her questions. "Then why do Beckman and Shaw think he's gone rogue with Walker?" She asked with a low voice.

The older agent sighed a little before speaking. "Listen carefully, Chuck's identity is top secret Mitchells. Only eight people know his real identity and are still alive. Two off those people are Shaw and Beckman. You do the math, why they would want you to think that he's gone rogue?"

She couldn't believe what he was telling her. Chuck's identity top secret? And he seriously questioned even Beckman's loyalty, what made this guy so important that even General's became untrustworthy? "It has to do with the intersect doesn't it? Did he design it or something?" She asked slightly bewildered.

"Design it? He _is_ the intersect Mitchells." Casey stated gruffly.

Her eyes widened at hearing that. From what she had heard, she had thought no one could handle such a thing in their head, which was part of why the CIA had never pursued it at least that's what she had been told. So they had lied to her more than just a little, but to hear it was in the head of her partner, was just mind boggling. "So you're saying Chuck has a computer in his head?"

Casey let out an annoyed grunt.

"How can he handle a computer in his brain?" She asked with some confusion in her voice.

"That's not important right now. The thing is, someone that knows Chuck's real identity has taken his sister. They called Walker, and her and the moron are on a suicide mission to save her. Now you can either trust me, and ask whatever more questions you have later. Or you can try to call Shaw, who is probably the person behind all of this, and I'll shoot you while you're at it." He stated menacingly, while he got up, and glared down at her.

She rose to her feet, not wanting to have him towering over her. Glaring him in the eyes, she considered things for just a second, before deciding to trust the older agent. "Fine, what do you want to do?"

He smirked at her, "What do you think?" He began, while he hammered a fresh magazine in his M4. "We're going to get some pay back." He finished with a low voice.

She couldn't help the smirk that came across her own face. "Lead the way." She replied, while they started making their way through the woods.

X-X-X-X-X

She was slowly trying to find herself a way through the labyrinth of crates, that filled the warehouse. She had only just left Chuck and his dad, knowing it was probably the wise thing to do, to let them go together. There was a definite fear that gripped her, a fear that she wouldn't see him again. A feeling that if they wouldn't meet again, they really had wasted a lot of years. It was why she had kissed him. She didn't want to leave on the terms they had been on, if they had no more time, at least they had had another moment like that.

Sadly that was what a lot of their relationship had been, stolen kisses in life or death situations. And she scolded herself for letting it get to such a situation. Just like she scolded herself for getting herself distracted, while she was progressing ever deeper in the warehouse. Finally she let her eyes dart across the surroundings, as the lighting grew slightly more dim, and the crates seemed to be stacked up higher.

Deciding she needed to take a moment to canvas her surroundings, she settled herself with her back against one of the crates, while she looked around a few corners. She was just about to move again, when she had something drop. Immediately she took the safety off her weapon, and began frantically looking around her, as the uncomfortable feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. It was far more tense than she had experienced in previous missions.

Looking through a row of crates into the direction from where she believed she had heard a sound, she saw a shadow flash through the background. She momentarily hesitated, unsure on wether or not to shoot. Ultimately she decided against it, not wanting to make any more noise as needed, as she started creeping forward again. Careful not to make a sound, while she let her eyes roam her surroundings constantly.

She had only progressed a few more yards, when she heard another sound, this time coming from the opposite direction the other one had come from. Instinctively she took cover behind a few crates, as she peeked around the corner. She could see another figure flash past in the distant. This time she did not hesitate, as she fired off a round. Within moments the silence was filled with a painful groan coming from the place she had aimed at.

Not wanting to stay and become a sitting duck, she decided to start moving up a little faster. Still keeping an ever vigil eye on everything that happened in the area. Occasionally hearing sounds, and still hearing the agent she had hit groaning from time to time, with an occasional expletive between them. She was sure they would soon be all over her. She just hoped she would have time to get out of the dreadful position she was in before that happened.

It didn't take long for that hope to get shattered. She hadn't even moved for half a minute, when she heard the distinct sound of wood shattering next to her. It didn't require a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on. She instantly switched directions, running into one of the other rows of crates, adrenaline now coursing through her veins as she tried to find a point from where she could retaliate for that shot.

Glancing over her shoulder she could see another shadow flashing by, causing her to fire off a few rounds in the direction, but this time all she heard was the shattering of wood and concrete. She picked up her pace, as she thought she almost reached the end of the labyrinth. But she was greeted by a few barrels pointing from the end of the row. She barely managed to dive out of the way, as a few shots were fired in her direction.

Realising she was pinned down, she knew she would have to try to fight through it. It was the end of the line. And her thoughts once more went to the tall lanky nerd, that she had cared about so much. It dawned on her that she really might never see him again, but the least she could do, was take out as many Ring agents as she could in the mean time. Perhaps make it a little easier for him to escape safely with his family.

She looked at her gun one more time, trying to find some focus. Trying to find the inner strength to get through this. Trying to find something, some kind of idea of plan. But his thoughts seemed to be clouded with regret.

Hearing a few people approach her position, from several sides, she felt her determination returning to her body. Gripping her gun more tightly, she swung herself around the corner, firing of a number of rounds in quick succession, at the figures that were approaching her. In the dim light, she could see their shocked expressions, as they fell to the ground, clutching different parts of their anatomy.

Again she darted forward, trying to reach her objective, trying to get herself out of this situation. She could hear several bullets whistling past her, some cracking the wooden crates that she ran past, others continuing their course. She reached the end of the rows, and felt a small form of relief as she figured she would have more of a chance there. However, as she was about to see where she had ended up, she could feel something pierce her skin. Causing her legs to give out. The last thing she remembered seeing, was Shaw standing over her, with a smirk upon his face, as the lights slowly went out.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck and his father made short time of heading up the metal stairs. Both careful to tread as lightly as they could on the stairs, trying to prevent the enemy operatives from picking up any sounds. Though to them every step sounded like thunder in the middle of a quiet summer evening.

At the end of the stairs, they found the metal overpass, that seemed to lead in a hallway. The overpass was badly lit, making the metal barriers at both sides a much needed necessity. While they started to make their way towards the narrow hallway at the end of the overpass, he looked down into the sea of crates that Sarah was now going through. He tried to make out her position, but he couldn't look past the sea of wood, the poor lighting not helping his search.

It didn't take them long to reach the narrow hallway, and despite the added benefit of no need to worry about people spotting them from below, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling about being in such confined spaces in the current situation. The lack of room to seek cover making him feel like he was trapped. He imagined the Romans in the Teutoberg Forest must have felt similar, though of course they had the added fear of missiles being hurled in their direction, and cold steel cutting through their flesh.

Slowly he followed his father down the hallway. Every once in a while they would encounter a metal door, but he trusted his father to know where they were going. There was no way he would question the seasoned agent, that had been so effective at evading capture for so long.

They made a right turn at the end of the long hallway, and he was surprised to be greeted by another long corridor, but this one split into three more. They were about to move further, when he heard muffled sound of gunfire coming from the lower levels of the building. He felt the distinct urge in his gut to rush back and see if he could help him, but apparently his father noticed the look on his face.

"Don't even think about it Charles." He hissed, with a pointed look. "She's more than capable of taking care of herself, unlike your sister."

He only nodded in reply, motioning his father to continue. He couldn't help the uneasy feeling that gripped the pit of his stomach as he continued. There was this constant whisper in his head saying that she wasn't taking care of herself, as the shooting seemed to intensify.

Ultimately they reached the first of three corridors they could walk into, the other two options beyond their current position. His father peeked around the corner, while he himself kept looking behind him. Somehow expecting someone to show up. Except for the shooting down stairs it had been too quiet so far.

His father turned to face him again, and started to whisper. "Two guys outside one of the rooms. Seems worth a look."

Without talking, he moved past his father, and took a look for himself. At the end of the long corridor there were indeed two agents, looking sternly around them. It seemed odd to him that they had not moved, that they had not responded to the shooting. It was like it screamed that it was some kind of trap.

"Why aren't they reacting to the noise down stairs?" He whispered to his father.

"If she's in there, they are probably under orders to stay put. She's their sure fire way to get the intersect Charles." The older man stated.

With a deep breath he turned back, knowing that his father was probably right, even if he still felt uncomfortable, he took out his tranq gun. He didn't know how his father had survived this long in this business, he had never seen him carry a gun, all he seemed to run around with were his gadgets. It amazed him somewhat.

Slowly he moved the gun around the corner, before following after it himself, careful to stay low, and hide himself as much as possible in the slight hint of shadow that was around their position. He squeezed of a few darts in quick succession. Most seemed to hit their targets, as the men quickly succumbed with a loud dud.

He looked back at his father, and gave a quick nod, before they rushed down the hall. Both desperate to reach the room the two agents had been guarding. The covered the distance in seconds, both with a slightly heavier breathing. Both anxious to see what was behind the door.

Tediously slow Orion moved to open the door, while positioned away from the door itself. Something that would prove to be a wise decision, as the opening door was soon riddled with bullets coming from an automated weapon. Both Bartowski men, immediately pushed themselves against the wall, as bullets filled the air around them. A few rooms behind them another door flew open, before they knew what was happening a barrel was pointing out.

Chuck threw his back up piece to his father. The older Bartowski immediately set to work, firing a few darts into the room, which was quickly followed by the sound of someone collapsing. While Chuck fired off a few shots towards the other room, but all that he hit was part of the metal door.

Without even thinking about it, he ran towards the room that was about ten yards away, ignoring his father's call to take cover in the room they were standing by. As he came within a few yards, he could feel a few rounds rip his clothing, and he could even feel one bullet scraping the flesh of his side. He was just thankful the female agent was firing blindly. Clearly too afraid to open the door fully. When he finally reached the door, he swung it open, and against his usual standards, let his fist collide with her jaw, while he registered the bewildered look on her face. He hated that he had to hit a girl, but he didn't feel there was a choice. To finish the situation off, he fired two darts into the woman's torso, to make sure she wouldn't come back to haunt them.

Before he even noticed it, his father was at his side, and immediately began inspecting the wound that the bullet that grazed him had created. The older man looked at it with some concern in his eyes, while Chuck didn't really feel bothered by the wound, even though some blood was coming out of it. "It's not that bad Charles." He ultimately said. "But if you pull a stunt like that again, I'll kill you myself."

"I had no choice dad." He shrugged, not wanting to fight, while the people he loved were still in danger, he instantly turned away from his father to check some of the other rooms in the corridor.

It was a strange sensation for both Bartowski's as they opened the few remaining doors in the particular corridor. Every room was dark and empty, and every time they felt a combination of relief of not another unwanted surprise, and disappointment that they still hadn't found Ellie. They knew with the commotion they had created that time would be off the essence before more people would be there.

They pushed on, and decided to both take their own corridor. Chuck taking the middle one, while his father took the furthest one. Both went their own way in silence, keeping an ever vigil eye on their surroundings

Chuck tried to keep his ears trained on his surroundings, as he rounded the corner. Clutching his weapon tightly. Not wanting a repeat of the previous situation. Not wanting to come this far and then lose. And definitely not wanting to fail those that he loved. It had always been a thing that he had feared, disappointing people, and letting them down. He had hated that the most about his expulsion from Stanford. The look on his sister's face when he came home, but that paled in comparison to what he feared he would see now.

It caused him to walk a fine line. A fine line between not pushing too hard, and throwing away his caution, and hurrying enough. He so desperately wanted to find her. He so desperately wanted to keep her safe. This was exactly the thing he did not want happening, and yet here they were. Almost his entire family, and the woman he loved fighting for their lives. A stab of guilt hit his heart, even though he knew it wasn't his fault.

Quietly he opened the first door, but was once again greeted by darkness and silence. He closed it, the soft clank of the door shutting filling his ears, and filling his heart with dread, like every sound did. His heart still pounding in his chest as he went on. He reached another door, and this too was empty. He only had two more doors to go. His heart rate seemed to pick up a little more.

He decided to go for the one on the left, ignoring the one that was situated fully at the back. He slid the bolt to the side, and started opening the door slowly, when he could hear slightly heavy and erratic breathing coming from the other side. His heart jumped a little, as he was relatively certain that it was her behind the doors. Still he was on his guard, holding his weapon ready to take out any possible threats.

Opening the door, he gasped at what he saw. "Oh my God Ellie." He practically shouted nearly in despair, at the sight of his sister, who was strapped to a chair, gag in her mouth, bruises on her face, small cuts under her eye and on her face, while also her arms seemed to be bruised.

Without hesitation he rushed over to her, ripping the cloth out of her mouth, as she succumbed to tears of relief. Not even bothering to remove the ropes from her arms, he gently held her face in his hands, and forced her to look at him. "Sssssh, it's going to be okay Ellie. We're going to get you out of here." He said soothingly, before letting go of her face, and cutting through the ropes.

When he finally had released her hands, she swung her arms around him, pulling him in tightly as she sobbed uncontrollably into his shirt. She didn't even say a word, she didn't have to. The state of her body revealed more stories than her words ever could. He felt his heart break at the sight of her, and at the heart wrenching sound of her sobbing. Slowly she grew a little more quiet, causing him to pull away from her a little.

"We have to get out of here El." He stated softly, but with determination.

She nodded shakily, as she tried to get out of the chair. With a loud groan, she rose to her feet. Just as they left the room, they faced their father.

"Dad?" Ellie croaked out, but Stephen seemed too flustered to answer her, though Chuck could see the pain in his eyes. It was clear that his heart broke at the sight of her, just like his own had.

The older man shifted his gaze to his son. "Charles we need to get her out of here." He stated softly.

"I know dad." He answered in a hushed tone. "Come on El, just lean on me." He said to his sister, as they began walking, hopefully towards the freedom they all craved.

X-X-X-X-X

It hadn't been an easy road for the team to get to Borelli's mansion, the hill they were situated upon had been rocky, and especially Morgan had some difficulty navigating a path across the rocky path, even slipping a few times, due to loose rocks.

Ultimately they had made their way into a small bushy area near the Italian's mansion. Not wanting to make a scene by walking through the neighbourhood with automated weapons, they needed to be careful, and prevent being spotted.

They finally reached the hedgerows that signalled the edge of the Italian's property. It would be easy to get in to the gardens that gave access to the mansion itself, the only question would be if there would be any guards around the premises.

They settled down in a crouch next to the few feet high hedgerows, discarding the back packs, and checking their equipment one more time. Needing to make sure they wouldn't run into logistic problems. Unfortunately their equipment didn't include the technical equipment they were used to, to get into their video surveillance. They really had only brought rudimentary stuff.

Making sure they had enough ammo with them, Casey gave Morgan a pointed look. "You stay here moron." He stated gruffly.

"You are kidding, what am I supposed to do here?" Morgan asked in annoyance.

"Stay out of our way, and stay alive." Casey replied with a light growl, as he turned towards her.

"Let's go Mitchells."

He got up to his feet, and she followed suit. But while the older agent started walking past the hedge, looking for an opening they knew was there somewhere from earlier surveillance, she turned to Morgan for a second.

"Sorry Morg, but it's really for the best." She stated softly, placing her hand on his shoulder briefly.

Though he couldn't get the disappointment off his face, he replied with a small smile. "I know."

She gave him a small nod, as she ran after Casey. It didn't take her long to catch up with the major, who was in his usual silent and slightly cranky mood. She had to admit though, that she was feeling the same way. This assignment had gone from great to crap in no time at all, and it was something that disappointed her. She had really enjoyed working with these people, in this area. She really doubted they get a chance to work together. In fact she suspected that she'd never see Chuck again, and even seeing Casey or Morgan again seemed unsure.

She didn't know why, but not seeing the last one again was what disappointed her the most. She had really gotten attached to the short man in a short time, in no small part because he could make her laugh, and forget about the life she had chosen. The life she wasn't so sure about anymore.

Sighing a little, she tried to ignore the uneasy feelings in her stomach, not just about the end of the mission, but also about what they were doing now. The nerves and tensity becoming more apparent with each step.

It didn't take them long to find the small gap they knew was there. Casey crawled through it first, gun trained in front of him, with a look on his face that showed he was eager to get revenge. He had muttered something about a Bartowski and wounds. She hadn't been exactly sure what it meant, but he seemed more angry than usual.

When he signalled the all clear, surprisingly without any gun fire, she went in after him, and was greeted by an almost eerie silence, only broken by the sound of their feet on the grass, and the crickets that were as active as ever.

As they progressed to the house, they noticed how quiet it was. The usual guards weren't around, and their didn't seem to be any activity inside either. There wasn't even a response when they started walking up the marble stairs, causing both Kayla and Casey to look at each other oddly, both with an uneasy feeling. They had expected to be greeted with a wall of lead at this point.

Silently they opened the oak door, the seasoned soldier taking point, his gun at the ready. She followed after him, her own gun ready for action as well, while she looked down the sight. But like the areas they had gone through before, this one was empty as well. She could hear the major sigh in frustration.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked annoyed.

"I don't know John, but we won't find out standing here." She replied, while moving past him.

They started going through the house, and found the first few rooms empty.

"Maybe we should check out his office?" Kayla suggested.

Casey gave her an affirmative grunt, causing them both to go upstairs, through the corridors she had gone through only a week or two prior, though back then it had been under better circumstances. She had even allowed herself to talk a little with Chuck, but now she was silent, and tense, her heart rate slightly elevated, a small layer of sweat across her skin.

She followed the major up the stairs, and into the final corridor, where she had incapacitated the guard the previous time she had been there, but again they found nothing but emptiness. The uneasiness they felt was growing with every step they took, when finally they arrived at the office. In stead of barging in, Casey put his ear on the door, trying to see if he could hear something. After a few seconds he turned back to her.

"Well he's definitely in there." He whispered.

"All right then, what do you want to do?" She responded.

"What do you think?" He answered her with a low voice.

Without giving her a time to respond, he kicked open the door, ready to open fire on anyone in the room, but to their surprise, there didn't seem to be any need, as the Italian was sitting behind his desk, a bottle of strong liquor in front of him. He only looked up at them for a second, before returning his gaze to his glass.

"Figures." He slurred out, the alcohol clearly affecting him.

"What figures?" The major asked agitated, stepping closer with his gun fixed on the Italian.

"All my men died in the explosion… yet here you are."

She was taken a back by it, she had hoped they had taken some if his men out, but to hear they had actually gotten all of them it seemed almost too good to be true.

"So you two…" He started pointing his finger to the both of them, "here to finish the job?"

"We just need names Borelli, give us what we need and we might let you walk." Casey stated with a small smirk.

"What names?" The Italian replied.

"Stop playing coy." She replied threateningly. "Give us the names of your suppliers and we'll go."

The Italian sighed, clearly thinking about what he should do, before he reached over to a drawer in his desk, causing the two agents to move their finger to the trigger, both ready to shoot at any false move. The Italian didn't mind, or didn't notice, as he opened the drawer and took out a black notebook. Giving it one last melancholic look, he threw it at Casey.

"Here, now you need anything else?"

Casey inspected the notebook, and smirked pleased with the results. "Yeah, who ratted us out?"

Again there was conflict in his eyes, but again the Italian surprisingly opened up. It seemed like every time he decided he just didn't care anymore.

"His name was Senor Shaw. He gave up your boss Carmichael."

Despite the fact that Casey had persuaded her to distrust her superiors, this shocked her, and so she looked at the major with slightly widened eyes. But in stead of telling her he told her so, he just let out a grunt, before speaking. "Come on, we need to get out of here and call Walker."

"Right." She said, as she followed him out of the room.

They had hardly made it halfway back to the stairs, when they heard the sound of a small calibre weapon being fired. They shared a knowing look, as they went back to find their partner.

X-X-X-X-X

The three Bartowski's had made it back to their car without any problems. Their had been two more agents that had decided to grace them with their presence, but they had been taken care of without any difficulties, even though Ellie's eyes had widened at the abilities her brother had displayed in the situation they had found themselves in. Now they had found themselves waiting at their car for the last five minutes, waiting for Sarah to show up, their communication not having worked through out the mission for some odd reason.

Chuck was starting to feel anxious as he started pacing, while Ellie was sleeping in the back of the car, fatigue had finally caught up with her. He knew something had happened he could feel it in his guts, not to mention she was never slower than him. Even with the intersect she was by far the superior agent, when it came to missions like these. He looked at his dad, biting his lower lip a little. He knew his father wouldn't be glad with this.

"I'm going to find her." He stated abruptly. "If I'm not back in 30minutes, you two get out of here. If we don't make it to the rendezvous by tomorrow you get out of there. I'll know how to contact you."

"Charles,-" His father started, but Chuck interrupted him.

"I know dad, but if this was mom you'd go in there as well. I need to do this." He stated with an intense look in his eyes.

His father sighed, before he nodded. "Be careful Charles."

He gave his father a hug, as he whispered in his ear. "I will, just take care of her." He said before he pulled away from the hug, instantly running back towards the facility they had just left. If it really was Shaw that was behind this, he would probably be waiting for him by now. He would know that Chuck could never leave behind the blonde agent.

He once again crawled through the hole in the fence, and without looking he ran towards the entrance. Despair was starting to creep into his system more and more, with every yard he progressed towards where he hoped she was still alive.

He rushed inside, hardly giving it a second thought, as he chose the opposite path from the one he had chosen before. He was now rushing through the labyrinth of crates he had seen her enter before. The one he had felt uncomfortable by before. He had felt like he should have gone down to help her, and he now cursed himself for listening to his father. What if something really bad had happened to her? The creepy silence only fuelled the fear, he knew that it had to mean she wasn't pinned down somewhere.

He kept on walking, looking around himself, while the distinct feeling came upon him that he was being followed. However every time he looked back there was no one there. For a brief moment he even considered just shooting at something, but he was down to his last few darts, and he wasn't sure if he had it in him to pick up an actual lethal weapon. He wasn't sure if he could really do it. What would he do though if her life depended upon it?

He crept forward, clutching the tranq gun tightly, his hands moist from the nerves that were coursing through him. He heard some noised around him, but decided not to react on them. He really didn't want to get in a situation that he would be pinned down or something.

He passed a few more rows, when suddenly at one of the last rows, he felt something connect with his face. Before he even knew what had happened, he fell on his back, his gun flying out of his hand, just out of his reach.

He needed a moment to compose himself, but the man that had hit him didn't give him a second, as he jumped upon him, and again let his hand connect with the lanky nerd's jaw. Chuck could feel the familiar sensation of a flash come over him, as he could see several martial arts figures appear in front of his eyes. With a smirk on his face he came out of it, as he instantly blocked another ferocious punch, holding the man's fist in his own, as he threw his other fist towards the man's eye. His hand collided with the man's face, creating a cracking noise, as the man was thrown back. Chuck rolled to his side, picking up the weapon he had dropped moment earlier. He tried to fire of several darts, but only one came out, filling him with a feeling of dread.

As the man that had ambushed him nearly successfully collapsed unto the ground, he arched over, breathing heavily, adrenaline and fear rushing through his veins, as he pulled the clip out of his weapon. As he expected he was out, and there was little he could do about it. The only other ammunition was with his father, but he would never reach her in time if he went back. He went over to the man that had attacked him, and took the weapon he had with him of the man's waistband, with slightly trembling hands. He really hated guns.

Taking a final deep breath, he took the safety off, and started running towards the end of the row. When he finally reached it, he could see a small door at the side, and started moving towards it slowly.

X-X-X-X-X

She slowly opened her eyes, the headache that usually accompanied being hit by a tranq dart, being an immediate indication that she was still alive. Even though she was grateful for that, she couldn't help but wonder why that was the case, not to mention that she wasn't happy with the situation she was in, the straps around her arms and feet being a good give away that she wasn't going to like this.

The room she was in was relatively stale, a lot cleaner than she had expected from a room in a warehouse, and the feeling of dread came across her that perhaps she had been moved to a different location. She wondered what they would do to her, though she couldn't imagine what they wanted from her. Yeah she was a relatively high up, but she had little information, the Ring should know that. And if they had the intersect's identity her use plummeted even further.

Before she could progress with her thoughts, she was interrupted by a man entering the room. It was a man she had known far more intimately than she had ever hoped she would, at least she had thought she knew him, but to see him there, was just something she found disgusting. She hadn't even known why but part of her had hoped it wasn't him, that perhaps she hadn't been completely wrong, but now he was here, and judging by the look on his face, he was enjoying it.

"Good to see you awake again." He stated amused.

"Why are you doing this Shaw?" She bit out, ignoring his comment, even if she did wonder how long she had been out.

"All in due time _Sam,_ all in due time. For now I'd like to show you something."

She glared at him, feeling another stab of regret that she had ever told him that damned name. He looked at her amused with her response, taking a flash drive out of his pocket.

"You know I've been deceived for so long Sam, but then they opened my eyes."

"What are you talking about Shaw?" She asked confused, while she tried to jerk her arms out of the straps, but they didn't seem to budge.

"I'm talking about my wife Walker." He stated annoyed while he came closer to her, running his hand over her face.

She felt repulsed by his mere touch, but he didn't care, as he continued talking.

"I've always thought they killed her, but it turns out I was wrong. Turns out it was you." He said, as he hit her in the face.

She could feel a little blood running into her mouth, and she tried to spit it at him, but he just laughed while shaking his head. "Allow me to show it to you Walker."

He walked over to the small table, and put the flash drive in the notebook that was situated on top of it. She could see some seemingly random footage show up on the screen, it was footage of some woman, but she had no idea who it was. Then the picture switched, and revealed a bridge in Paris during the night time. She still tried to constantly jerk her hands out the straps, as she kept on watching. She then saw something that shocked her, she was brought back to the worst night of her life, as her five year younger self shot a woman on screen.

"Oh my God" She whispered softly. "That… that was your wife?" She chocked out.

"I'm going to destroy you and the CIA for what you did to me Walker." He said, as he took a small knife out of his pockets, and started to run it over her bare shoulders, and neck.

Before he could get any further, the door flew open, and revealed the tall lanky nerd that she loved so much. Even though part of her was glad to see him, she had hoped he would have been safe. She instantly felt Shaw pull up his weapon, while she could see that Chuck had a lethal fire arm in his hands. She wasn't sure how that had happened, but she couldn't help the feeling of fear that filled her. She didn't want him to do this.

"Step away from her Shaw." He said through gritted teeth.

"Or what? You are going to kill me?" The other man replied amused.

She tried to connect her eyes with his. When she finally succeeded, she saw a strange look in his eyes. It was a strange form of tensity, it was a fear, and an uncertainty. It was then, when she really looked in his eyes, she could see he was new to this, that he really had not killed anyone before. It was a look she had seen in agents before they had actually been forced to make their first kill. It almost resembled the look she had seen on the video just moments before. She felt so much remorse for not believing him, though she also couldn't help but feel the momentary relief, that he really hadn't changed, but now he was in the situation that he might be forced to actually kill someone. No matter what happened though, she would be with him through it, she would not abandon him again.

Chuck ultimately interrupted her thoughts. "If I must." He said with a slightly shaky voice.

"This isn't you Shaw. You don't have to do this, we can just walk away." He continued, taking a step closer.

"Actually I can't Chuck. Walking away isn't going to take away the pain from her killing my wife."

"And killing her will?" He replied with disbelief.

"No but it will be justice." Shaw stated with determination. "Now either you leave, or I'll shoot you both."

She was desperate to get out of the bounds that held her in place, but as much as she fought them they didn't budge.

"I'm not leaving Shaw." He stated firmly, as he once again focused his eyes on her.

"Well then, you leave me no choice." The seasoned agent stated.

Both men raised their guns, pointing them at each other. Then as she finally managed to free one of her arms, the sound of gun fire filled her ears, as her eyes widened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Gratitude, Promises and Confessions**

From the moment he had flung open the door, his eyes had been mostly on her. The initial response to seeing her had been relief, relief that at least he had been on time to save her. Despite this his gut was being twisted by the uneasy feeling that came over him by seeing her strapped into a chair like that, completely helpless, some blood dripping out of the side of her mouth, and the slight hint of despair in his eyes.

It reminded him of what his sister had looked like when he had finally found her. His heart still breaking at the thought of it. He felt a surge of anger every time he thought back to it, he felt even more anger now that he looked at her like this. The situation was clearly dire, and he had an uneasy feeling about what he might be forced to do. He had always fought that possibility, but now, now he realised to save her, to save them both, he might not have a choice. Still Casey had once told him, everybody had a choice, he was determined to try and have them all walk out of there, hell he was even willing to forget about everything that had happened if it meant saving her.

"Step away from her Shaw." He said through gritted teeth. Even though he felt little hope that the experienced agent would do just that.

"Or what? You are going to kill me?" The other man replied amused.

He knew Shaw had seen his hesitance in killing anyone, after all the senior agent had seen it twice. Even in the current situation he felt an uneasiness about having to do such a thing, he still didn't belief it was necessary. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to, not to mention that if he did, even his last bit of hope to start with her would probably be shattered.

He allowed himself to focus his eyes, on her blue ones once more. Once again he was taken a back by the emotions that were visible in them, and he knew he really had no choice. If the situation wasn't resolved in a different way, he would have to shoot, he just hoped he would be able to.

"If I must." He said with a slightly shaky voice.

"This isn't you Shaw. You don't have to do this, we can just walk away." He continued, taking a step closer.

"Actually I can't Chuck. Walking away isn't going to take away the pain from her killing my wife."

"And killing her will?" He replied with disbelief.

"No but it will be justice." Shaw stated with determination. "Now either you leave, or I'll shoot you both."

"I'm not leaving Shaw." He stated firmly, as he once again focused his eyes on her.

"Well then, you leave me no choice." The seasoned agent stated.

In a flash he saw the other man starting to raise his gun, before time seemed to grind down to a halt. In that moment, all that filled his mind were their faces. The faces of his sister, and the love of his life, the faces of all his loved ones he wouldn't be able to protect from them anymore. Ultimately all that remained in his mind, were the desperate looking eyes of the woman in the room with him.

Desperation came over him, desperation to save her, desperation to get them both out of there alive. Spurred on by the emotions, and instinctive feelings of wanting them to survive, he raised his gun, surprising himself by the speed he raised the weapon with. In a continuous motion he moved his hand to the trigger, and squeezed it three times, his hands shaking as he did so, while the sound of gunfire echoed through the room.

He let his gun slip out of his hand in shock and disgust of what had just happened, causing it to clatter on the ground, before the man that he had just shot through the chest even had hit the ground, while he himself felt like a sledgehammer hit him in the shoulder. Yet despite that, he felt numb, hardly able to register what had just happened, while he just stared at the body of an agent, that had once been sent to help them.

"Oh my God, Chuck!" He heard a vaguely familiar voice call out, but it seemed to be coming from miles away.

Diverting his view to his hands in disgust, he saw them trembling, and to him it seemed like they were crimson with blood.

"Chuck!" He heard the voice shout again, but still he couldn't move his view away from his hands.

"Chuck! Oh God Chuck, you've been shot." He heard the voice say in despair, but this time he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, causing him to finally look up.

He looked into the face he had seen so many times before, a face that had always brought him peace and joy, and he had always enjoyed seeing, but all he saw this time was worry. He followed her gaze, that was seemingly aimed at something else, and then he finally saw for the first time the giant red stain that was starting to form on his shirt, yet he still felt numb.

Softly she forced him to sit down, her hand guiding him slowly to the ground, while she followed suit, and crouched down in front of him.

"It's going to be ok Chuck, you're going to be ok." She said with her voice thick with emotion.

He briefly looked into her eyes, and saw a few tears glistening. Normally his first instinct would have been to comfort her, but now he just stared at the wall opposite from him, feeling to disgusted to comfort her. Feeling doubtful about why she had tears in her eyes, fearing she might just grief over having to see him kill someone.

She started lifting his shirt, causing a small shiver to run past his spine, as the cold air brushed over his body.

"Just have to check the wound." She stated softly, her soft blue eyes connecting with his brown orbs for just a brief moment before he looked away, nodding slowly as he did.

Quietly she continued lifting his shirt, till she reached the wound itself. Blood was running out of it. Gently she pulled him forward, allowing her to look at the exit wound, satisfied by what she saw she pulled of her black t-shirt revealing a skimpy tank top, that would have normally made him blush a little, and started tearing of a few pieces of clothing. Without hesitation she wrapped them around the wound tightly, causing him to wince a little.

"Come on Chuck, let's get you out of here." She stated with a soft voice, as she pulled him up to his feet.

He could finally feel the wound burning, as he had a hard time moving his arm around. Without even thinking about it, he began following her, staying only half a step behind her. Deep down he knew he should be on his toes, but somehow he didn't seem to care. He barely registered them exiting the warehouse, and reaching the fence. With some painful tears in his eyes he managed to crawl his way underneath them.

Before he had even reached the backpacks, she had already opened one of them up, and started transporting it's contents to the other one. As she was busy, he just stood there, staring blankly in the distance, while she occasionally glanced at him with a worried look.

Still in silence, she swung the backpack on her back, before she took his good hand in hers and started pulling him towards where the car was supposed to be. But when they reached it, they were greeted by the same emptiness they had encountered on their way there.

"Damn it Chuck, where's your dad?" She said with a slightly raised voice, he could easily make out the panic in it.

She started looking around frantically, muttering several expletives under her breath.

He wanted to respond to her, vaguely remembering something about telling his father to leave if they wouldn't be out in a few minutes, but somehow he couldn't find his voice. It still seemed like he was miles away, only her touch and voice seemed to bring him a little closer to the world again.

In the distance, they could see the lights of a car approaching, causing Sarah to grab his hand roughly. "Come on Chuck, we got to get out of here." She practically screamed at him, as she started dragging him into a field.

Without thinking he followed her, he followed her for what to him seemed like hours, only stopping when they finally reached a small barn, that was part of a seemingly abandoned farm.

"Come on, let's go inside." She stated with a soothing voice, while she started opening the barn doors.

Just like he had done since he had shot Shaw, since he had killed someone for the first time, he followed her without thinking, without question. It was the first ever time he had done that, just do what he was told, but he didn't have the energy, or the desire to question anything. He really just wanted to wake up from the nightmare he was in.

While she was busy trying to set up some primitive alarm system, with some strings, he set himself on the floor, his back resting against the grimy wooden walls. He once again fixed his eyes on his hands, they were still trembling slightly, and still seemed crimson. Tediously he moved one of his hands, to his shoulder, and could feel the wet fabric that clung to his skin. Looking down at the wound, he could see the bloodstain on his shirt had only gotten bigger, and he felt himself grow nauseous.

Without him noticing, she had settled down in front of him again, but this time with a first aid kit in her hand. "I'm going to have to take care of that." She stated with a sad and worried look on her face.

He didn't care, and even if he did, he didn't have the energy to fight her, the events of the day and blood loss starting to catch up with him. He nodded slowly, while she pulled up his shirt. He let his head fall back, as she set to work.

X-X-X-X-X

Despite the fact that it was the middle of the day, she fell back on the bed in one of the small motel rooms that they had occupied, in the aftermath of everything that had gone down with Borelli. Even though she had been trained to stay awake during all circumstances, the far too warm room, and the events of the day made her a little drowsy, and in truth she didn't feel like being on her toes the rest of the day. Realistically they wouldn't get caught, normally The Ring, and their allies would think they were fried as crisps just like their own men.

Still she noticed a tensity coming from Casey, ever since they had arrived in the room about an hour earlier, he had been trying to get a hold of Walker, but he hadn't been successful yet. If it had been just Walker, she hadn't cared herself, but because this also involved her own partner, she felt a tinge of worry herself, her only comfort being that she knows he can take care of himself.

She heard someone walk into the room, so she looked up and saw Casey. A part of her had hoped it would be Morgan who had just gone out to get them all something to eat, him being the least known of the three agents, it seemed like the best strategy. Still she hoped that the senior agent had some good news, but his face only seemed more intense than it had done before.

"What's wrong John?" She asked with concern in her voice.

He looked at her, with a slightly bewildered look. "Just got a hold of Walker." He stated in a low voice.

She had no idea why that made him so worried, "That's good though isn't it?" She asked, sitting up a little more.

He let his eyes lock with hers for a second, briefly conveying his concern and pain to her. "Chuck got shot." He stated, causing her to gasp. He seemingly ignored her before continuing. "Apparently we were right, Shaw went rogue."

She shook her head in disgust, as she kept her eyes locked on the hardened NSA agent, "What about Chuck?"

"He's alive." He started with a strained voice. "Walker said he's not doing too well."

She let out a shaky breath, as silence once again fell over the room. There were conflicting emotions running through her, as she couldn't help some relief about not having called Shaw, while she still felt disgusted about his betrayal. Even with what Borelli had told them, she had hoped there had been some loyalty left in the man, that perhaps The Ring were trying to set him up, but they were just sold out, it wasn't the first time that had happened to her. His betrayal let her to question the whole CIA, trust was a rare commodity for her, and right now, she wasn't sure if she could give that to her employer.

There was more relief about Chuck having survived being shot, however she couldn't shake off the worry that came with what Walker had told Casey. What if it didn't end well for him? Even though she had been forced to suspect him for treason, she had never really believed it, and she just couldn't imagine anyone in their line of work that deserved it less than him to meet such a fate.

As she kept thinking about everything, she kept coming to the same conclusion. "We need to go to the states, and meet up with them." She said with a determined voice.

She only got a grunt in response.

"What are we going to do about The Ring and the CIA though?"

"Let's just link up with Walker, and worry about that later." He stated gruffly, while he took out his gun to start cleaning it. She figured he was doing it to keep his mind occupied.

She allowed herself to fall back onto the bed, her head feeling comfortable against the pillow. There were so many questions running through her mind, about what they were going to do about the situation, and if they even had a choice in the matter. It was already established that Chuck and Walker had no road back, Beckman seemed out to get them, but what about them? Was there even a chance that the rest of the team could go on to work for them relatively safe? Did she even want to?

She wanted to scream in frustration, and throw something through the room. How could an assignment that had looked so promising end so badly? She wondered to herself, as she heard someone open the door again.

She looked up and saw Morgan, food in hand, food she was craving for and now really didn't care about anymore. He seemingly caught onto the mood pretty fast, when his face dropped, and with a sad voice asked, "Who died?"

X-X-X-X-X

Fatigue, stress, and concern had prevented her from closing her eyes longer than a second. Chuck had passed out only a few minutes into her treating his wounds, she just hoped that it was from exhaustion, and stress, rather then from blood loss, but because of the paleness of his skin she feared the worst.

It hadn't taken her long to clean out and stitch him up, but she was extremely glad that they had been wise enough to bring a small first aid kit with them. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if they didn't. There was a good chance that he might have bled out then. The prospect of having to live without him, was not one she appreciated.

From the moment he had fired the weapon she had felt her heart break, she had been fighting back the tears from the moment that she had seen the look on his face, his eyes seemed darker and more distant, it seemed like something had been taken away from them. It was like her worst fears had come through. Still she was not going to abandon him, she was going to help him through everything.

She could feel and hear him sleeping restless, and she started running her hand through his hear soothingly, and she could feel a small layer of sweat that was covering his forehead. It was one of the things she dreaded about his health, and she could only hope that it was from whatever he was dreaming about.

For a moment she rested her eyes on his face, and could see the tenseness of the situation clearly visible in it, despite his sleeping state. Every second, every small line or twitch caused her to want to cry, but she couldn't, she had to be strong and fight for the both of them.

Her eyes slowly moved down to his wound, and his shirt. There was no spare t-shirt, so he was still wearing the blood stained one, and it quite frankly made her stomach turn to see his blood soaked into the garment in such quantities. As an agent she was used to a fair share of blood, and of course she had lost quite a few pints of it herself, but seeing it coming from him, it was just the worst experience she'd ever had.

A small part of her was mad at him for coming back for her, it was against everything she had ever told him, it was against everything she had wished for him. He should never have killed anyone, and she felt a small tinge of guilt for putting him in that situation. She should have been on her toes a little more, she just wished she could have protected him from it. But the emotion that dominated was gratitude, gratitude for the sacrifice he made for her. Gratitude and love for all that he was willing to do for her. She would show him how much it meant to her.

He seemed to have settled down just a little, as she continued to run her hand through his curly hair, the curls she always loved seeing. Her dreams had always included running her hand through them, though it had always been under different circumstances.

The agent in her wanted her to think about the near future, wanted her to think about what to do about the CIA and the possible Ring agents that were looking for them, but the worry she felt dominated her thoughts. Still she was glad that she had talked to Casey, the older agent having called her. He had been surprisingly supportive, though she had not been in a real mood to talk, she could sense his own worry through the phone. Every showcase of their old team's co-operation of the why they worked so well, made her regret her mistakes and bad choices even more. If only she'd been able to prevent this.

Suddenly she felt him shoot up, with a scream almost loud enough to pierce her eardrums. Instantly she focused her eyes on his, forcing him to look into them.

"Shhhh it's ok Chuck, you're ok, it was just a dream." She said soothingly, as she ran her hand through his hair.

After looking at her with wide alarmed eyes, he allowed himself to fall back on the hard floor, letting out a small whimper. "Shaw, he wanted to kill you and Ellie… and I… I couldn't reach you." He managed to choke out, a few tears running down his face.

"Hey listen to me." She started, with a soft but commanding voice. "It was just a dream, Ellie and I are all right. You saved us both Chuck." She finished with a few tears pricking in her eyes. Normally she would have scolded herself for the emotions, but she figured considering the circumstances she was allowed to show them.

"You saved us both." She repeated. "I'm so proud, and grateful of you." She whispered softly as she let her forehead rest on his.

She could see the conflict in his eyes, the pain and suffering, the worry, the whole mess of the situation, and she wanted nothing more than to reassure him, she wanted nothing more than to comfort him. Slowly she moved her lips to meet his, brushing them softly, needing to make contact with him to show him what she meant. After a few seconds he slowly returned the kiss, both moving their mouths slowly, just needing to find comfort in the other, before she pulled back.

"I… I… I love you Chuck." She managed to choke out, not sure why she felt the need to say it, but in that moment she did, she needed him to know that. "We are going to get through this together." She said a few stray tears now running down her face.

She could see the struggle in his eyes again, there was a glimmer of the man that she knew, the man that she was sure loved her, she could see that love flash through his eyes. Every time she had envisioned that moment, she had thought he would be the one to say it first, or at least reciprocate, but she knew why he didn't, she could see it in his eyes.

"Hey it's okay." She stated with a soft soothing tone, while she ran her hand through his hair again. "I'm going to show you I'm here for the long haul Chuck. I'm going to show you that we're in this together. I promise you this Chuck, I'm going to help you get through this no matter what the cost." She stated with determination and fire in her eyes.

He slowly nodded his head, and even gave her a week smile, his eyes still looking darker than she had ever seen them before. They returned to silence, while she kept repeating what she had been doing for the past 20minutes, continuously trying to sooth him with her hand. And within minutes she seemed to succeed as she could feel his breathing level out again, this time he seemed to be a little more at peace as he slept.

She wasn't sure if she had done the right thing in telling him that, but her heart had told her to do it. She had been fighting her heart, and it's desires for so long, she just couldn't bother anymore, not when it came to him. The knowledge that she had almost lost him, that she almost didn't have a chance to tell him was excruciating. She couldn't help the smile that came over her face, as she settled herself in a little.

Only a few minutes later, she heard some noise coming from outside, causing her to sneak away from Chuck as quietly as she could, while she took out the weapon she had picked up from her now dead former partner.

She moved open the barn door, careful not to make a noise, not wanting to wake him up now he had gotten back to sleep again. Her eyes had no problem adjusting to the early sunlight, but what she saw caused her to feel relief. The man in front of her, had been the man that she had hoped she would see, though she had no idea how he had found them.

"What happened?" He asked with slightly wide eyes, as he looked at her slightly bloody clothing.

She hesitated for a moment, not really sure on how to break the news to the experienced spy, a man who had done anything he could to protect his family. In this moment she felt the guilt again, she felt like she had failed Chuck and his family.

"Where's Charles agent Walker?" Orion asked, this time with a sharper voice.

"He's inside. I don't really know how to say this but he's been shot." She said with a sad voice.

She could see his face fall, while he muttered something under his breath, and she instantly regretted her choice of words.

"It's ok mister Bartowski, it's just a flesh wound." She said quickly.

"Thank God." Orion stated with relief, as he rubbed his eyes.

"There is something else though." She said with some hesitance in her voice. He looked at her questioningly, causing her to continue. "He killed Shaw, he's… he's not taking it too well." She continued as she diverted her eyes to the ground.

"Damn it, that's exactly one of the reasons, why I didn't want him to be a spy" The man across from her exclaimed.

"Neither did I." She said softly, earning her a sceptical look from the senior Bartowski. "I know you don't belief me mister Bartowski, and I don't blame you, I probably wouldn't believe me either. But I'm going to show you that it's true." She stated with the same determination she had shown when she had made her promise to the man she loved.

"We'll see." He replied with some scepticism in his voice. "For now, let's just get Charles somewhere safe." He finished, as he brushed past her, with her quickly following suit.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla was fiddling around a little with the silver chain around her neck, while sitting in the back seat of a small rented sedan. She felt uncomfortable, not knowing where they were going, but despite her best efforts Casey had been unwilling to share that information with either her or Morgan. The only comforting thought was that she didn't have to ware a blindfold, or anything that drastic.

It had been two days since Casey had talked to Walker, and they had been determined to get back to the states as quickly as possible, especially Morgan had been freaking out. It was an absolute relief when Walker had called them and said that physically Chuck was going to be ok, but apparently emotionally he had taken a blow. In her mind he would have been just another victim of the CIA's games, but she had not wished this on Chuck. Not that she would wish it on anyone else, but he had been different.

She had no idea how he had ever become a spy without killing anyone, let alone how he could have become so successful or lead his own team on such a high profile assignment, even though she had been impressed by his work in the field. There was no denying the young agent's bravery or outstanding choices in the field. She had even asked Casey how he could have passed his red test, but the older man had grunted something inaudible.

A small part of her envied Chuck, who she now knew was called Bartowski rather than Carmichael, because he had been able to convince his superiors that he had actually passed his red test, without really having done so. Her own red test still being one of her dreaded memories. In truth she wasn't proud of it, and after the Shaw fiasco she wondered if perhaps she had killed an innocent person in her red test as well. She didn't even want to think about it, back then she had just done what they had told her, eager to make a name for herself, eager to make a career for herself. A career she once envisioned would have been full of glamour like the movies, but had proven to be quite the opposite.

She felt the tension in the car, and as she looked at the bearded man in the back with her, she could see the worry emanate from his face. Ever since they had filled him in, he had been uncharacteristically quiet, and even when they had gone into the city one last time, he hadn't said much. Granted she hadn't said much either. But it was unsettling, but she had learned of their history, which had explained so much to her, and she understood why. She'd done her best to help the two men in her team with the situation, but they had not been in the mood.

Finally they turned onto a small dirt road. She had no idea where they were, except that it was a several hour drive from the LA area, there was little doubt in her mind that they would be relatively safe there, yet still as she looked around and she saw nothing but trees and grass she felt relief. The last thing they needed was another surprise from the Ring, or the CIA who were probably all too eager to get to them as well.

They only drove down the small dirt road for a few minutes when they reached a mediums sized building. It seemed a lot more luxurious than she had expected from the drive there, with from the outside at least, seemingly enough room to fit them all. Outside on the porch there seemed to be a blonde figure waiting for them, long hair dancing in the wind, her arms crossed over her chest. It was clear that, that had to be Walker. As they came closer, she noticed she seemed more imposing than she had done on the screens in The Cave.

Finally they got out of the car, and started walking towards the porch.

"Walker." Casey greeted curtly.

"How you doing Casey?" She replied, but the strain on her voice was instantly audible. As Kayla came closer she could see it in her face as well. It was far worse than she had even seen on Morgan's face.

"Fine, how's Bartowski?" He asked with a surprisingly worried voice.

"Depends which one. Ellie is fine, Chuck's not doing too good."

Casey nodded understandingly, while Morgan took a step forward. "Don't worry." He started confidently, "I'm sure I can help him get through it."

The blonde agent glared at him, with a look that nearly frightened Kayla, as the seasoned agent took a few steps towards Morgan, her eyes narrowing. "You listen to me Morgan,' She started in a menacing tone. "Chuck is going through hell right now, and the last thing he needs are your idiotic actions, you got that?"

Morgan swallowed hard, adjusting his collar a little as he did so. "Got it." He croaked out, his voice shaking a little.

"Good." Sarah stated, her demeanour changing again. "Now let's get inside, they are probably waiting for us."

"They? Who are they?" Kayla wondered out loud.

"Chuck, his sister, and his dad." The blonde stated casually, as she lead them inside.

"What does his dad have to do with anything?"

She could see Sarah look at Casey, "You didn't tell her?" She asked surprised.

Casey shrugged a little. "Didn't seem to be my place Walker."

Sarah nodded slowly, before turning her head to face Kayla. "Ever heard of Orion?"

She could feel her eyes widen. Orion was a legendary figure, but just like the intersect many people had either thought he was a myth, or considered him to be long gone. Of course she'd hear some of his exploits from time to time, but because he was a ghost, she'd sometimes question the validity, and even just think it was some kind of excuse.

"You're kidding?" She ultimately replied, while she looked at Morgan who had a look of surprise on his face as well.

The blonde woman didn't respond, but gave her a small knowing smile, while she continued to walk. They reached a small dining room, with three people already at the table. She recognized Chuck, though he didn't seem to be anything like the man she had met only weeks prior. He seemed pained and conflicted, and his eyes lacked the spark they used to have. His arm was in a sling, and there was a small grimace on his face accompanying the dark circles around his eyes.

The other two people she concluded were probably his sister, who she immediately noticed, had several bruises on her face, a few small cuts, and also seemed like she had just gone through a lot, while the older man sat at the head of the table with a serene but intense look on his face, carefully observing the new guests.

The grey haired man, which she now assumed was Orion, gave a nod to Walker, who sat herself next to Chuck, while she carefully placed her hand on his, but he hardly seemed to respond. Orion motioned the rest of them to sit down as well.

Morgan walked past her, and sat himself down next to Ellie who was sitting across from her brother, and she sat herself next to him, Casey meanwhile taking a seat across from the oldest Bartowski.

The grey haired spy rose from his seat, "First off, thank you all for coming." He said, giving them a small smile. "I hope you all understand everything we talk about stays in this room."

She nodded her head, while she could hear Casey grunt "Roger that."

"Good, now what I want to talk about with you all is how we are going to deal with everything that has happened so far. In essence how we can prevent ourselves and important things like the intersect of falling into the wrong hands."

"Just one question sir." She started slightly nervous. "What about the CIA?"

He was about to reply, but Sarah beat him to it. "Come on Mitchells, we can't rely on the CIA, for starters, at least three of us are already wanted by them. Not to mention that they have done nothing but try to manipulate us. I don't know, but if you want to work for them, you'd better leave now." She said her gaze upon the brunette agent, making Kayla feel slightly uncomfortable.

She swallowed slowly, "Right." She finally replied.

"Good, now unless there are more questions I'd like to continue." Orion said, looking around the room, when no one spoke up he continued. "We assume The Ring is now completely capable of building a working intersect, using the information agent Shaw provided to them. We are going to use the information you acquired in Rome, and the information we are going to gather, to both steal their intersect, and destroy their organisation."

"Wait, why are we stealing it rather then destroying it? And how do you plan to get information on the Ring?" Kayla asked in a surprised voice.

He gave her a small smile. "We are stealing it, because we need it. Chuck needs to get rid of it, to do that, we need a working intersect. As for the getting information part." He paused for a moment adding dramatic effect. "That's where you come in agent Mitchells."

Her eyes narrowed a second. She was getting an uncomfortable feeling. "What do you mean?" she asked in a low voice.

"We need you to go undercover in their organisation Mitchells." He stated coolly.

She wanted to laugh, and proclaim it a completely ridiculous idea, but she could see the look in his eyes, he was dead serious.

"You can not be serious." She stated as she stood up from her seat.

"Listen agent Mitchells, if you know another way, I'd be glad to oblige, but I don't see one. Normally I would have asked agent Walker here, but there's no way the Ring is going to trust her, and Major Casey over there, has just recently rejected the Ring's advances quite forcefully. You really are our only option." He stated with a sincere voice.

She set herself back down with a sigh. "So you expect me to go in without back up?"

"Not entirely agent Mitchells, we want you to go to General Beckman and convince her, that you are going to do this on the CIA's radar. It should give you all the support you need. Besides it gives us the added bonus of finding out if she can be trusted. Just whatever you do make sure only she knows. Once we've taken down the Ring, we go off grid, and disappear into the sunshine. We just need to clear Charles and Walker with the CIA in order to do that peacefully."

She ran her hand through her hair. "So you are just using me as bait then."

"I understand your concerns Mitchells, but we'll keep someone near you."

She really didn't know what to say anymore, there was so much that could go wrong, but if it worked they would gain so much.

"Fine." She bit out, still not happy about the prospects.

"Good, now I take it Major that you've brought the information we talked about?"

Casey let out an annoyed grunt, but it only seemed to amuse the older man.

"All right then, if no one else has any questions, I think it's best to end all of this, so Charles here can get some rest." He said with a soft voice.

"What about Devon?" She heard an unfamiliar voice croak out.

She could see the conflict in Orion's eyes, it seemed like he wanted to say one thing, but felt like he needed to say something else. Finally he spoke with a sad voice. "I'm sorry Eleanor." He said, barely able to keep his eyes on her.

"But that's not fair dad!" She exclaimed.

"I know it's not, but it's just too dangerous, not just for us, but for Devon as well."

The brunette rose to her feet angrily, though she seemed to wince a little as she did so. "I can't believe this dad. In 20years, and I just ask this one thing of you, one thing and you can't even do it, and all because of them." She said, pointing at the several agents at the table. "Why can't you just come through for me just this once dad?" She asked, the pain in her voice clear for all to hear.

Orion looked at her with pained eyes, and his face fallen. After a few seconds without saying a word, the brunette bolted out of the room, followed only a few seconds later by her father.

The room was still in silence when she saw Chuck leave the room as well. He seemed to have some difficulty moving around, and it pained her to see it. Moments after he left, she could see Walker go after him.

X-X-X-X-X

Sitting outside on the edge of the porch, she wiped away a few tears that had started to run down her face. The last week had been a nightmare for her, and to have her father betray her like he had just done, well it was like she was stabbed in the back.

Her body was still aching all over, and she hadn't been able to shake off the fatigue just yet. It didn't help that every time she looked in the mirror, she was being confronted with the bruises and the cuts in her face. They had been in the middle of 'punishing' her for her escape attempt when they had suddenly left the room. She wasn't even sure what had happened, till only moments later she had seen her brother's face, it had been the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

She just wished that in the aftermath she could have felt her husband's strong arms around him, that she could find the comfort of sleeping in his arms every night. His support could have helped her, in supporting her little brother, who she realised was a mess right now. She had never seen him in such a state, not even after that bitch Jill had stabbed him in the back. But as selfish as it may be she just didn't feel up to being the self-sacrificing older sister. Not after everything that had happened, not after everything she had learned.

The whole truth behind the intersect had been mindboggling, not to mention that the whole story about her dad leaving. He had still been a little vague about their mother, but he claimed he had an idea to bring her back to them. Now she doubted that, he couldn't even reunite her with her husband, how then could he reunite their family?

She was brought out of her thoughts by her father's voice. "Eleanor?" he spoke softly, while he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Immediately she could feel some anger lash up, so she glared at him.

"I know you're angry with me, and I understand. But you have to understand why we can't. They are watching him, they know who we are now." He told her with a sincerity she had not often seen from her father.

"Come on dad, you, Chuck and Sarah just destroyed an entire Ring facility, and yet you claim you can't get Devon?" She bit out angrily.

He seemed surprised by her outburst, but his demeanour didn't change. "You're brother almost got killed Eleanor, I don't know if we can risk something like that again. Not when his life isn't at stake."

"And what if they grab him as well dad? What if they hold him hostage huh? Are you going to let him rot away then?"

He observed her carefully, before smiling at her. "I see so much of your mother in you. It figures that you'd make an awesome spy." He said mildly amused, while he got up to his feet.

He had just made a few steps towards the door, when she stopped him. "What about Devon?"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to the Major and agent Walker in the morning. For now try to get some sleep."

With that he went inside, leaving her to her thoughts.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah was walking towards Chuck's bedroom, she felt weary from the last few days. First there had been the stress about his physical well being, his blood loss weakening more than she had hoped, then it became stress about him shutting her out.

The last two days she had constantly been trying to get him to open up to her. Not that she had been constantly been bombarding him questions, but she had periodically tried to get him to talk to her, just like she had constantly been at his side. It broke her heart to see him closed off like he was now. It was her worst fear come true, but she wouldn't stop, she would not back down.

Slowly she opened the door of the dark room, the blinds were closed, and all the lights were out. As soon as the man in the bed heard the door creak open, he threw himself on his good side, clearly not wanting to talk to anyone. But she had had enough of his silence, she really just wanted to have him open up, even if it was just a little.

It surprised her that she was so burdened by his lack of opening up. She had always been the one to keep her cards close to her chest, to stay mute about feelings and emotions, but now she just wanted to be there to help him, to get him through this. Above all she wanted to get out of this stronger, together.

Quietly she walked to his bed, and sat herself down on the edge of it, looking at his form in the darkness, feeling her heart break all over again because of what he was going through, before speaking.

"Are you ok Chuck?" She asked softly, running her hand down his face.

He didn't say anything, instead he slowly pushed her hand away.

"I just.." She started, before taking a moment to take a deep breath. "I just wished you'd talk to me Chuck. I just want you to get through this, I want to help you through this. I just wish you'd allow me to." She said shakily.

Still the dark figure in the bed remained silent, her hand now running up and down his back.

"Ellie needs you Chuck, I'm not sure if she can get through this without you. I need you." She said firmly. "I can't do this without you Chuck. I.." She felt her voice grow shaky again, "I love you Chuck, I just… I just need you here with me."

She could hear and feel his breathing getting more irregular, and heavier, but to her immense frustration he again remained silent. With a heavy sigh of frustration, and fighting back the few tears that were threatening to spill over, she stood up and started walking to the door. She wanted to yell at him, scream at him, shake him till he came to his senses, but she knew it wouldn't work that way. As she almost reached the door she could hear him flip himself over again, before he finally spoke.

"He's everywhere. It's like I see him everywhere." He stated heavily.

Before she knew what was happening she was back at his side, intertwining her fingers with his, motioning him to continue talking with her eyes, despite the darkness.

"Everywhere I look I see his face, I see his chest, and… and the blood… there's so much blood." He took a few breaths before continuing. "Then when I close my eyes, either it's a nightmare or more of the same." He said, with a weary and heavy voice.

She could feel her heart break for him, despite the time that had passed since her own red test, she had never been able to shake the pictures of that night either. He had brought her close to healing, but without him at her side, it was like that healing had never taken place.

"It's going to get better Chuck, I promise." She said with a soft voice. She was determined to make it better.

"How? When?" He saw her questioning look so he continued. "When will it get better? How will it get better?" He questioned her.

"I don't know Chuck." She told him truthfully, with a remorseful voice. She could see his face fall a little in response. "We'll get through this together Chuck, you and me. Just promise me you won't shut me out again, promise me you'll talk to me." She stated, a small tear running down her face, from everything that had happened.

He looked into her eyes, moving the thumb of his good arm to wipe away the small tear before speaking. "I promise." He told her in a low voice.

She kept her eyes on his for a second, contemplating on kissing him or not, but this time she decided against it. So she gave a small nod of her head, "Thank you." She said, as she got up from the bed, moving towards the door, but once again his voice stopped her before she could open it.

"Sarah?"

She turned back to face him. "Yeah?"

"Could you… Could you stay with me tonight?" He asked hesitantly.

Silently she walked towards the bed, a small smile on her face. He moved aside, making room on his good side, giving her some room on the bed. Without saying another word she nuzzled into his chest, and for the first time in days she felt some form of peace.

"By the way." He started hoarsely in a near whisper, causing her to look up at him "I love you too."

She felt her heart flutter at his words, a huge smile taking over her face. Slowly she moved herself up a little, careful not to hurt him. She brought her lips to his, slowly kissing him, before nestling herself back in his chest, feeling herself being calmed by his touch, and the rhythmic beating of his heart.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Just A Guy That Can Fix A Computer.**

She woke up still safely cradled in his arms. Without a doubt it had been the best night sleep she had, had in a long time. For the first time since she had left Burbank she had felt peaceful, and even though her worries for him were still there, she knew deep down that together, they'd get through it. Together they would get through anything.

She looked up at his face, and could see that his expression was a lot more peaceful than it had been a few nights before. It was still nowhere near what it had been back in Burbank, but it made her a lot more happy to see him in the current state, than the heart wrenching one that he had been in days before. Of course she realised he still had a long way to go, they both did, but they'd finally started on that road, and they had done it together.

It had been such a relief to hear him open up to her again, not to mention that hearing him proclaim his love to her, was just the most precious moment in her life. In such moments everything that was hanging over them didn't matter to her, all that mattered was him. It wasn't that she ever doubted that, she had always known that he did, even if she had spent years trying to hide from it.

Her eyes were still focused on his face, and she felt the urge to wake him up by kissing him. In the pit of her stomach she could feel her being pulled to do just that, but it she knew that he needed a good long rest, as it had been the first time in days that he had slept through the night without waking up screaming. Despite what they had told each other she needed to be patient and careful with him.

She heard a rummaging noise coming from the door, and in an instinctive response she reached under one of the pillows in search of the knife she usually hid under there. Her eyes widened slightly when she realised she wasn't in her own bed, and that she had not taken the usual precautions. For some reason she didn't even have her gun near her, she just hadn't felt in necessary.

Once again she heard someone rummage at the door, but this time she heard a harsh whisper accompanying it.

"Walker." The distinct voice of Casey said, breaking through the silence in the room.

She felt a mixture of annoyance and relief, as she carefully moved herself of the love of her life. She snuck towards the door on her tip toes, making sure not to make a sound. Smoothly she opened the door far enough for her to slip through, and closed it behind her again.

"This better be good John." She stated in an annoyed voice, glaring at him a little.

"Just needed to talk to you about a few things Walker." The NSA agent stated, completely unphased by her attitude.

"Well get on with it then." She bit out, wanting to go back to the comfortable position she had been in only moments earlier.

"First off, Mitchells and the moron left for Langley last night." He stated in a casual tone.

She felt some surprise, but in reality she didn't really care all that much, and definitely not enough to warrant leaving her comfortable position. She knew she should, after all they were now part of the same team, but she didn't really know the brunette agent, and Morgan had always interrupted her time with Chuck. Besides she had different concerns on her mind, and even though Orion didn't seem to trust her completely just yet, she had full confidence in his ability to coordinate her operation. The only thing that gave her a stab of disappointment was that Chuck had not been able to say goodbye to his bearded friend.

"That all?" She asked still annoyed.

"No that's not all Walker." Casey replied, rolling his eyes annoyed. "I want to know what's going on with you and the other moron."

"Frankly Casey I don't see how that's any of your business." She replied coolly.

"You made it my business, when you didn't believe him, and crushed him for what had to be the millionth time Walker. So I ask you again, What. Is. Going. On. With. You. And. Bartowski?" He said, pointing a finger at her as he did so, while taking a step forward.

She knew she should be grateful that Casey was trying to take care of Chuck, but she really felt mostly annoyance at his meddling. For the first time since Prague she really had hope they could sort it out, they could not use everybody meddling in.

She let out a weary sigh, and ran her hand through her hands, before talking. "What do you want me to say Casey? Want me to say I made mistakes? You want me to say that I should have believed him? Or do you just want to hear me beg for forgiveness? Because quite frankly Casey," She said, now taking a step toward him herself, and putting her index finger against his chest. "I don't own you squat."

He glared at her for a second, before replying. "You're right, you don't, but you do to him." He stated, pointing to the door as he did so, before starting to turn, but halfway he changed his mind, and turned back to face her again. "Oh and one more thing Walker, treat him like that again, and your ass is mine." He stated threateningly with a menacing look in his eyes.

"Good to know." She muttered to herself while she watched his retreating form. She definitely hadn't expected Casey to come at her like that. In truth she knew that it shouldn't surprise her at all, after all Casey was a marine, semper fidelis was about the most important rule he lived by. For her this was a conformation Casey had started to think of Chuck as an equal, though of course the gruff agent would never tell his young partner that.

She took a short moment to shake off the encounter before going back into the room, wanting to see if perhaps Chuck had woken up, and if not, if she could perhaps get back to sleep herself. Without a doubt she had much rather staid there in the first place.

Quietly she opened the door, which gave of a small squeaking noise, while she did so. To her disappointment Chuck was already up, sitting back against the backboard. In the dim lighting of the room, she could see on his face that something was bothering him. She feared that unlike her own peaceful slumber, he had once again suffered intense nightmares.

"Morning Chuck." She stated softly.

"Morning." He replied, she could see a flash of relief come over his face, before his troubled look was replaced by a fake smile.

She was determined to get him to talk to her, after the night before she had vowed to herself not to let him close himself off again. Within seconds she had made her way to his side, taking in the same position she had been in the night before, her hand once again intertwined with his, while her eyes locked on his brown ones.

"Did you sleep okay?" She started, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"It was a little better. Thank you for staying last night." He replied, giving her a soft smile as he did, this one seemingly more genuine than the one it replaced.

"You're welcome, I told you, I'm here for you." She replied, returning the smile, before her face turned more serious. "Morgan left with Kayla last night." She said softly

"Right." He replied curtly, to her disappointment, he seemed to be distancing himself a little again.

"I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them." She said.

He shrugged a little. "It's okay. They are good together, I'm sure they'll have each others backs."

"Right. Now, you want to tell me what was bothering when I walked in?" She asked, with a very slight edge on her voice, catching him off guard.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He replied curtly.

She let out a loud, annoyed sigh. "Cut the crap Chuck, I saw the way you looked before I greeted you. Now you promised me you wouldn't shut me out again, so spill it." She stated in an annoyed voice.

"Fine" He huffed, she felt some relief come over her, but fought, and succeeded to keep her face neutral. "It's just, after everything you said last night, and the last couple of days, when you weren't here when I woke up, it reminded me of the wedding. You know when you told me about you leaving with Bryce. I guess, even though I know it's unreasonable, my heart is just scared that one morning you'll just pack up and leave, like you said you would." He told her earnestly, his face now fallen, and his voice filled with emotion.

For what had to be at least the hundredth time in the last week, she felt her heart break for him. She had intended to tell him the truth about that moment a long time ago, in fact she had wanted to tell him everything when they were dancing and Orion interrupted, but after that she had been too caught up in her own self pity, that she had forgotten about that. She needed to talk to him, but didn't want to be interrupted again. However she knew exactly where they could talk.

With a sad expression on her face, and in her eyes, she looked at him, before softly speaking. "Get dressed Chuck, we're going for a walk."

He looked at her strangely, obviously not understanding how she could respond to his confession like that. "Listen we need to talk about a lot of things, and I don't want to do it here, and get interrupted. So get dressed." She told him as she saw his face clearing up just a little.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Good, I'll be back in five minutes." She stated, letting go of his hand, before she got up. While she walked towards the door, she already started to try and muster up the courage to talk about everything. She still hated talking about feelings, but she realised that to fix this, she had no choice.

X-X-X-X-X

Kayla was feeling uncomfortable while she was sitting outside of Beckman's office. The waiting area had a few other agents in it, most were looking stoic, just staring at the wall, while some others seemed to be captivated by their cell phones. One of the male agents however seemed to be mostly captivated by her. Not that she had never experienced that, but they way he gawked at her was slightly unsettling. But the real reason she was uncomfortable was that she had a bad feeling about Orion's idea.

From the moment she had told her both new and old team that she would do it, she had this gut feeling that she wasn't going to like what they were asking her to do, better put what Orion was asking her to do. So far her only comfort had been, that Morgan had come with her, as a liaison between her and the rest of the team. Orion had at least not wanted her to go in alone, and Morgan had seemed like the best option to come with her. She really had no idea why she was doing this. A part of her just really wanted to tell the truth to Beckman, it was what she was programmed to do, the CIA had made sure of that.

There were however compelling reasons for her to not do that. For starters, it would be a way out, and one that would mean her sense of duty had been fulfilled. She had no idea why she still felt obligated to come through for her country, that she felt obligated to come through for her family, and most importantly for a team that she had only just met, but she did. Another important reason was the treason of such a senior agent. Even if she did want to stay in the Agency, she needed to know she was safe, she needed to know that there wouldn't be any repeats of what happened in Rome. And the only way she saw to do that, was to get to the bottom of that infiltration.

She felt a small shiver run down her spine when she thought about how livid the red headed woman would have to be at her right now, she had only dealt with the general's secretaries so far, and she could have sworn she saw some sympathy in their eyes.

Only moments later she was called in, and the nervous feeling in her stomach grew immediately. Orion had made perfectly clear that, to find the elders, this had to go down right. Not to mention she knew she could use the CIA resources that came with the territory of going undercover in an organisation. Manipulating someone who thrives by manipulating however seemed like risky business.

Taking deep breaths while she walked towards the door, she opened the large wooden door, and was unsurprised by seeing the short woman behind the desk with her nose in the files. Kayla already braced herself for a scolding, and for yelling, but in stead the woman just looked at her, and without saying a word, motioned for her to sit.

Only nodding in reply, not wanting to talk unless Beckman spoke first, she moved towards the small chair and set herself down on it. The general seemed to be aware of how she was feeling, because for the first few minutes she just kept doing what she was doing, looking through the same vanilla folder, while Kayla could feel her heart race. She knew she had to remain calm, but she had never been the one to stand silences, so in response she just fidgeted around a little with the jacket she was wearing, needing to do something. Finally the general dropped the folder, and started looking at her with an intense gaze, surprisingly that made her feel slightly better.

"You know Mitchells." The general began, her voice surprisingly light, but Kayla had the feeling it was an act. "I've been reading your file, to try and figure out what excuse you had to go off grid for the past few days."

"General, it's pretty straightforward. I had reason to suspect that the chain of command had been compromised. I believe it's standard protocol to make sure that is not the case, before reporting back in again." She replied, her voice professional, and relaxed.

Beckman looked at her, seemingly looking if she could find some reason to question her story. From what she had heard, she was almost lucky she wasn't subject to a polygraph test, though that could have to do with the fact, that like all agents she was trained to pass that.

"I see." The red head replied thoughtfully. "And what, if I may ask, made you question my loyalty, agent?" she asked, now with a definite edge on her voice.

"Well general, long story short, an attack on a secret government base is kind of a give away that something isn't right. " She replied, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Besides general, it isn't your loyalty I question."

"And who's is it, that you do question?" Beckman questioned in a low voice.

"Is that really relevant general? Here's the thing, I need to talk to you about a new assignment, one that will give us all the answers we need."

"Well go on then Mitchells." The general stated annoyed.

She took a moment to compose herself before speaking. "Ma'am" She began, adding a moment of silence for dramatic effect. "I want to go undercover into the Ring."

The short woman looked surprised by her desire, and took a moment to contemplate before speaking. "Although I see the merit of such an operation Mitchells, I have to ask why would you volunteer for something like that?"

She looked at the general a small smile on her face. "Because general, I don't fancy a repeat of Rome. Here's the thing general, this stays off the books, and I only deal with you."

Again Beckman took a moment to contemplate. "Fine." She ultimately stated. "I take it you know how to get yourself into their organisation."

"Naturally ma'am." With that she rose to her feet and as she started to make her way to the door, she called back to the general. "I'll be in touch."

"Hang on for a second, Mitchells." She heard Beckman call out after her, causing her to freeze in her tracks. "I assumed the major would be with you."

She looked over her shoulder, "Ma'am, the major and Grimes." She let her voice trail for a second before continuing. "I haven't seen them since the base in Rome went in the air. I can only assume… well you know."

The general grimaced, and nodded at her motioning her to leave. Kayla quickly exited the room, and despite her reservations about going undercover, was ready to make her next move.

X-X-X-X-X

He could hear a few twigs snap beneath his feet, as they were walking down the small mountain path they had been walking down for the past five minutes. He felt slightly winded, the fact that he had been shot clearly affecting him, while he could feel her warm hand in his, as she gently lead him along. When he had asked her where they were going, she had just given him her patented mysterious smile, and walked on, leaving him no choice to follow her.

The emotional rollercoaster he had been on the past few days was still not behind him. He knew that for certain, in fact he had known his life had been nothing but an emotional rollercoaster since Bryce had sent him that e-mail. It was interesting to him how, since that day, he had had the most interesting, fun, adventurous times of his life, but also the worst. The last few days definitely qualified at the worst, and most confusing.

First there had been the showdown with Shaw and the constant nightmares that had followed. The past night, with her in his arms, he had felt slightly more at ease. Not that her presence had been able to drown out what had happened, and as things were now, he was pretty sure he would always remember, but her touch had calmed him enough to get a few hours of sleep, even if at first he had just been terrified by falling a sleep again. Terrified of seeing all those things again, but ultimately he had been exhausted enough.

They took another turn, and to him it seemed like they were still in the same place they had started. Never the outdoorsman, to him it all seemed like trees, but judging by her slightly increased pace they were getting closer. With every step they took though, he just wished they had just talked back at the safe house,

He looked at her golden hair that was being picked up by the light breeze that was blowing, and he felt uncomfortable and confused. The Sarah he had seen these last few days had been so different from the one he had known for so long. She had been so open with him, so forward with feelings and emotions. He just wasn't sure what to make of it anymore. His heart wanted it to be real, but it also questioned if she was playing him, after all he had learned she was pretty good at that as well.

She clearly picked up on his uncomfortable feeling, and gave him a small smile, before making another turn. "Almost there." She muttered. But to him, there just was jibberish so he didn't respond. He just wanted to get it over with.

This really would be a great place to kill him and discard the body, he thought to himself, and immediately he felt a pang of regret that his mind would even go there. After everything they had gone through he should have been certain she would do anything for him, but after the last few months, and her ordering his red test, and everything else that had happened he just didn't know anymore.

Finally she stopped, and he allowed himself to look around. And he could see a small clearing, at the side of a small lake, and he could see why she had brought him here. It was so peaceful, it was the exact opposite of how he was feeling.

"I came across this when I went for a walk a couple of nights ago." She told him with a small smile, while she sat herself down, patting on the grass next to her, motioning him to join her.

He let out a small groan as he lowered himself to the grass, and immediately turned his face to hers, but she still seemed immersed by their surroundings. For most people she would have seemed serene, but he could see the conflict in her eyes, the difficulty for her to talk about feelings was clearly visible in them. He ran his hand down his face, as he to started looking around him, and started to let the soothing sound of the water calm his spirit. After all he had learned his lesson never to pressure Sarah Walker to talk.

Occasionally he would glance over to her, certain that that would be the moment she would chose to talk, but for the first few minutes she remained silent, till she finally spoke, her eyes still focused on the beautiful scenery around them.

"You know, it breaks my heart that you don't trust me anymore Chuck, even though I understand why you don't, it does." She said with genuine sadness in her voice. He moved his eyes back to her face, and he could see that her eyes were slightly more moist than usual.

After a short moment of silence she once again continued. "I never got to explain what happened before the wedding. I tried, but when I did, your dad told us about Bryce."

He wasn't sure if he should respond, but he did anyway. "There's nothing to explain though is there? You put the job over us, and later I did the same."

She finally looked at him, though it was for just a second, the pain in her face was clearly visible now. "That wasn't why I said yes to leaving with Bryce, Chuck. There was more to it than that. And I know it's unfair of me, but I had hoped you'd understand, since you'd always been able to understand me better than anyone."

He kept looking at her, and for the first time since everything had started to go wrong, he reached for her hand, and gave it a light squeeze, to compel her to continue. "You know, I've always believed that there's no time like the present." He added to it, with an encouraging voice and smile.

She drew in a deep breath, "I remember sitting in my hotel room the night before the wedding, and realising that it was the end of one of the most important things in my life. Either I was going to be forced to leave you, or I was going to leave behind everything I had known since my senior year in high school. At that time, I was far too scared to leave it all behind. I mean, I just didn't believe that love, and the whole white picket fence idea would be for me. I just couldn't imagine me making you happy, and I was scared of it. I've always been scared of it." Her voice was getting softer as she progressed in her explanation, it was like she was fighting to keep going. He placed an arm around her, wanting to comfort her a little, meanwhile she kept talking.

"So I decided to do what my dad taught me Chuck, I decided to run. I just envisioned that I could con my heart, and feel safe in the world I knew, in stead of feeling inept and scared in yours. But when I saw you at the second wedding, and when you arranged for that to happen, I just couldn't do it anymore. I decided to stay Chuck." She finished her voice now barely audible, and he could feel her heave a little in his arms, but he was mostly surprised by what she had told him.

"Wait, what?" he replied in shock, not sure if he had even heard her correctly.

"I decided to stay Chuck, I decided that I wanted a real life with you, that I wanted the world with you." She said, her voice now slightly firmer.

"Wow." He muttered. He had always wondered what she wanted to tell him, but he had never really hoped she had wanted to tell him that she wanted to stay. In his mind she had been willing to abandon him. It was why he had felt that the whole Prague thing was because either he was a consolation price, or she wanted to prevent him from becoming a spy, prevent him from protecting his family, or perhaps she was just doing her job, and tried to protect him from what he had gone through the last few days. He just never thought she just wanted to be with him, even then he had trouble fully trusting her.

Not to mention that if she hadn't told him that she was leaving, and that she had told him this before his dad interrupted, he might not even have downloaded the damned intersect in the first place. Part of the reason was so he could stay with her, part of it was so she could still be in his life. In that moment he had expected them to continue the way they had been going before that, just the three of them in Burbank.

When he didn't fully respond right away, she looked up at him, and gave him a small nudge in the ribs, causing him to break out of his thoughts.

"I just.." He started, hesitating a little before continuing. "Wow, this is a lot to take in at once you know." He continued, looking down at her. "I just wish you'd have been able to tell me before my dad interrupted us, I just wish I would have known. Things could have been so different then."

She gave him a questioning look, and so he continued. "You know, I might not even have downloaded the intersect if you had told me." He said sincerely, this time it was her turn to look surprised. "I never thought it would be the one or the other, I figured, if I download the intersect she's forced to stay, she's forced to be here with me. I'm not saying I wouldn't have done the download if I hadn't, I still feel like I had a responsibility, but if I knew about your feelings then, it might have been enough, it could have been enough." He finished.

She looked at him in silence, and he could see a wide range of emotions in her eyes, that were still a little moist. He felt he needed to move past that point in his explanation, they finally had the chance to really talk, and he didn't want to waste it. She had told him, she had felt hurt that he didn't explain Prague to her, so it was time to do exactly that. "I remember when I walked into the train station in Prague, I remember seeing your beautiful face, and the hope in your eyes. I remember feeling that on the one hand you were everything I wanted, you were everything I ever dreamed of, but I didn't feel like I was everything you ever dreamed of. On the other side I had this sense of duty, this certainty that I could make a difference, that the intersect could make a difference. In that moment I felt like I had to go with what I was certain of."

She kept looking at him, and he could see the same pained expression he had seen on her face before. He didn't think he'd ever seen so much emotion in her face before. "I,-" She started hoarsely, but he interrupted her, not wanting to stop now he had finally started talking about all of this.

"I know you feel like I betrayed you there, and now I know the whole truth, I understand that." He needed to take a deep breath as guilt washed over him. "At some level I always felt the same, it is part of why I failed the training, the other being that in this world, I can't handle things without you. The truth is without you I'm nothing but a guy that can fix a computer"

A few tears ran down her face, as she spoke softly, her voice breaking a little. "That's not true Chuck."

He used his thumb to wipe away a few of the tears that were running down her face, "Yes it is." He stated in a near whisper, as he started leaning in, his lips slowly brushed hers, before he could feel her move to deepen the kiss, her hands running through his curly hair, while his hands were running down her back, pulling her in closer. When he finally pulled back for air, he rested his forehead against hers. "Yes it is." He repeated.

They stared in each others eyes, both not wanting to break the moment, both almost feeling like they were in a trance, but then she seemed to remember what they were talking about. "No it isn't." She started this time speaking with a firm voice. "You're a great guy Chuck, you were long before I met you."

He looked at her, wanting her to understand what he meant, but he was scared the truth would hurt her. Ultimately he decided that he had to, she deserved to know it. "You want to know what the last thought was before I downloaded the 2.0?" He asked her, when she didn't respond he continued. "You were the last thought I had. You telling me, that I am that guy. Don't you see Sarah?" He started raising his voice just a little. "You are the source of my courage. The courage I need to be the best version of myself, the one that is able to do things he really doesn't want to. The one that isn't afraid to take risks, or to go for something."

For a moment he could see the conflict in her face, a conflict between love, and the pain of him downloading the 2.0, he could see she would never fully be at peace with his decision, and in truth, he would never be either. He hated admitting it even to himself, but the last download had cost him more, than it had brought for them, and at times he wondered if it had been worth it. Usually his answer was that he wasn't so sure.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her cup his face, and start pulling him towards her. Before he even had a full grasp of what was happening he could feel her soft sensuous lips moving on his. He immediately responded, and ran his tongue down her lips, which she immediately opened granting his tongue access, while their hands roamed over each others bodies. Both tried to convey their emotions and pain from the last year in the kiss.

When they both finally pulled back, they were both breathing heavily, their faces slightly flushed, and their lips swollen a little, as they stared in each others eyes. "So where does this leave us?" She breathed heavily.

"At a new start." He replied after a few seconds.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her breathing now returning back to normal.

He made sure their eyes were locked as he spoke, "What I mean is, that perhaps we should try and leave this year behind us. That despite the fact that I still have a few questions, and you might have those as well, that we consider this a new beginning."

"So what, we don't talk about this last year anymore?"

He gave her a small smile. "That's not entirely what I meant." He started. "What I mean is, we don't let it get between us. I still want to know why you didn't trust me."

She looked at him, pain and guilt clearly flashing through her eyes that were starting to get moist again. "I,-" She started but he stopped her by gently putting his index finger on her lips.

"Shhh, it's ok, we talked enough about this for today." He stated with a soothing voice.

"No it's not." She choked out. "You need to know, I need you to know."

He shifted himself a little, looking at her expectantly. She took a deep breath, before she began to speak. "I remember the pain that I felt when you came back from Prague, having to see those loving brown eyes again. All I knew was, that I wanted to end the pain, but that I couldn't be vulnerable with you again. So I tried to convince myself that you weren't the guy I fell in love with." She began, her eyes were now focused on the ground between them. "Then Shaw came along, and he and Casey kept telling me, that you were changing, that you were becoming this guy... this version of you that I didn't want to know, that I didn't want to see." She continued, her voice wavering a little, so she needed a moment to compose herself. "It hurt me to think that you'd changed, but at least, at least it seemed like I could move on, because the man that I loved, that man didn't exist anymore." She finished, a few tears were running down her face again, the pain of those months clearly coming back to her.

He looked at her, feeling his heart break at hearing how much he had hurt her, his regret over his choices growing with every syllable she uttered. Again he brought his thumbs to her face, to softly wipe the tears away. "I'm sorry that I hurt you so much. I'm sorry for what I put us through with that choice."

She looked at him, her eyes slightly bloodshot, "I know you are Chuck, and it helps that I understand now." She started, with a soft voice. "I just... I don't want us to go through this again." She finished, with a voice thick with emotion.

"I know, neither do I." He replied, the emotion in his voice matching hers. "Let's try to enjoy that we're together now, in this moment." He said, giving her a hopeful smile, which she returned.

As they both faced the lake again, he wrapped his good arm around her waist and pulled her in close, while she rested her head on his shoulder. "I like this." She stated softly. He kissed the top of her head, as he thought to himself, so do I.

X-X-X-X-X

Once again the team was gathered around the small kitchen table in the safe house, although they were still waiting for Orion. He had called them after they had enjoyed sitting together in an extremely comfortable silence for just a few minutes. He'd insisted they'd be at the meeting, though he didn't want to tell them what it was about. It annoyed her to no end, though she knew it was the reality of their situation, it always had been.

She glanced at Chuck, just like the previous day her hand was on top of his, but this time their fingers were intertwined. His eyes were tense, and she could feel the shift in his mood, not just in comparison to at the lake, but also in comparison to how he used to be around missions. He had always taken things in a relatively light fashion, but now his whole body seemed to be tight as a spring.

The whole day so far had been an emotional rollercoaster for the both of them, but there were no words to describe with how much she appreciated his willingness to talk to her, or how much her heart had swelled at hearing him express her worth to him. She was extremely grateful that he finally took the time to tell her what had happened with the 2.0, and in Prague. But even that paled in hearing him say, that he wanted a new start. She didn't think she could love him more than she had done after that conversation, and she had felt such intense peace when she had rested her head on his shoulder. She had felt such a relief about finally clearing the air. She wasn't even sure how she had gotten through the last part of their conversation, she never thought she would be able to get through it, but despite that he had felt her mood, she knew that she owed him that explanation.

It kept amazing her, that after all this time, even after everything that had happened he could still feel how she was feeling. A small part of her didn't like it, the part that had been told from the days with her father, that you never show emotion, you never show your cards, but every day with Chuck decreased that parts influence on her. With him, she just wanted to be open and honest, she just hoped she would be able to master that fear completely, he deserved it, they deserved it together.

Hearing something shuffle behind her, she finally saw Orion walk into the room. To her he seemed a little more tense than usual, and immediately she knew he didn't like the idea of what they were going to do. When she looked over to Casey, she could see the same apprehension in him.

The senior Bartowski set himself at the head of the table, and immediately began talking. "Ok so this will be operation saving Devon." He began, his voice as cool as ever, despite his demeanour.

Casey let out an annoyed grunt at that, while the rest of them just seemed to listen intently.

"I've managed to contact Devon earlier today, using an untraceable phone that I sent him. Naturally he was extremely to hear that Ellie was safe, and that she was here with us." He continued with a small smile on his face now.

"Unfortunately he had no idea weither or not he was being tailed by any agents. So I set up a meet with him at the hospital, near the ER. It will be perfect for us, because we can easily survey the area through the CCTV they have there, and it's a nice crowded place."

The three agents at the table, nodded understandingly, "Ok so we leave within the hour, and we'll call Devon from the road." As Orion spoke, she could feel Chuck's grip around her hand tighten.

Orion clearly felt like he had said enough, not being used to working with a team, and already began turning to leave again, but she still had a point to raise, especially judging by the hand around hers. "Hang on, shouldn't someone stay here with Chuck and Ellie?"

He looked at her questioningly before speaking. "Agent Walker, I understand you don't want to leave my son, but no one has ever found this place, besides, Charles is more than capable of defending himself and his sister."

She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to publically doubt Chuck, but also not wanting him to be left alone, not if it came down to the possibility of action. After everything that had happened with Shaw, she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. "Listen Chuck has to be our main priority here, besides we can quarterback together from here."

She saw him contemplate for a second, so she continued. "I know that under normal circumstances Chuck wouldn't need one of us to stay here to do that, but with his shoulder, and everything that has happened the last few days, you can't expect him to feel comfortable with these things just yet."

He kept his eyes trained on her for a few seconds, before she could see his demeanour shift again. "You are absolutely right, Agent Walker." He said, a small smile on his face. "You know, a small part of me was hoping you'd object. So it's fine, you stay with Charles and Eleanor, while the major and I will have a little road trip."

Orion turned away to leave the room, while she looked at Chuck, who didn't seemed to have zoned out a little. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, "Come on Chuck." She began softly. "We better set up."

He seemed to snap out of it, as he finally looked at her. "Right." He mumbled. Simultaneously they rose to their feet, and left the room, still keeping their hands intertwined.

X-X-X-X-X

Devon felt extremely nervous as he walked into the ER area in the hospital. The last week had been decidedly un-awesome. He still remembered walking into his home and his wife not being home despite that she had told him that she would be. When she hadn't even gotten home by the next morning, he knew that something must have happened to her.

His worry only increased when he had tried to reach his brother-in-law. When he to seemed to have vanished there only seemed to be one conclusion, it had to do with spy stuff. He had scolded himself for not taking her out of Burbank when he knew she could be in danger. Chuck had once told him, he always lied to protect them, and it had seemed foolish, but then he understood. He wondered for a while if his brother-in-law had screwed up somehow. No matter what had happened the last week had been nerve wrecking, and he hadn't closed an eye.

He walked a little down the stale white corridor, and he saw some colleagues he knew only vaguely, look at him with their faces full of worry and concern. He was aware he didn't look his awesome self, his hair was a mess, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He might have been relieved the moment his father-in-law had called him, and told him she was safe, but when he too was being secretive about what had happened, he got worried again, even more so then before. Not to mention how he had been feeling when he had told him that they were coming to get him. He didn't expect to return to Burbank anytime soon.

He looked around himself, feeling worried, anxious and melancholic at the same time. Without a doubt, the years he had worked in this hospital had been awesome. He just wished that one day he could come back.

Not sure what to do with himself, he wandered back to the door, hoping to see some familiar faces. When he reached it, he had an unobstructed view of the parking lot, and what he saw was something that would have shocked him, had he not been aware of the true nature of the people he saw in action.

From a distance he could see Casey and his father-in-law walk up to a black car, both coming from behind it, both also making sure they were not in the line of the mirrors. Within seconds, his former neighbour had hammered in one of the windows, and fired a few shots into the car, and then call something out to the man that was accompanying him. He wasn't sure if he should freak out, or find it one of the most awesome things he had ever seen. The thing that unsettled him the most, was the smile on Casey's face, it really seemed like he was enjoying himself.

He could feel his hands getting slightly clammy, as he saw the gruff tall man look at him. Casey's demeanour immediately changed to an annoyed one, as he seemed to have spotted him. Raising the weapon, he motioned for him to come towards them. Not seeing another way to go, he quickly walked outside, trying to be inconspicuous, which he knew was idiotic seeing he was walking towards someone with a freaking gun in his hands.

There weren't any greetings as he reached them, in stead Casey just stated, "Come on, we got to move."

Without questioning them, he followed them, away from the hospital, towards an unknown future. He threw one last quick glance back at the place he had done so much good at, he had had so much fun at, but still made sure to follow closely behind the two spies.

"Finally one that listens." He could hear Casey mutter. Though he had no idea what he was talking about.

After walking at a fairly high pace, for a few minutes they reached a small sedan. Part of him had expected to see Casey's crown vic. standing there, but it was just a bland looking ford. As he saw his two companions get in, he immediately followed their example and set himself on the back seat. Now that he finally felt somewhat safe, he spoke. "What the hell is going on?" He exclaimed.

Orion looked back towards him, and simply stated. "Not now, we'll explain later. For now I think Eleanor would love to talk to you."

"Right." He stated meekly, "Any of you guys,-" he started asking, but the oldest Bartowski already pushed a phone in his hands.

"Speed dial one." He stated, before returning his eyes to the road, while Devon finally took the chance to talk to his wife.

X-X-X-X-X

She couldn't help the relieved smile that was now crossed across her face, even though she was wiping the last few tears out of her eyes. She had felt such a joy and relief to hear her husband's voice again, to know that he was safe and she would soon be in his arms again, it was the most intense joy she had felt since her wedding day, perhaps even in her life. But now that she was able to think, without every thought turning to him, she finally had the chance to really contemplate on everything that had happened, and the fact her life had just been totally dislocated.

From the moment that she had been taken by what she know knew, was The Ring, she felt like her life was out of control. She had always prided herself that she could control everything in her life, from the moment that her parents had left, she had been able to take control, and now she felt like she was in the backseat. It was something that made her feel powerless, and it was something that scared her. She didn't know the world she was now in, she didn't know how to handle it. Above all, she didn't know how to keep her family safe in it.

She still couldn't fathom that her father, brother, Sarah, Casey, and even Morgan were involved with the CIA. It hurt her, that none of them had told her. She had always been there for them, she had worked her ass off so her brother could have a life, and he never had the decency to tell her. But now she wanted answers, and he owed her that. And if he didn't have them, she'd demand them from someone else. It disappointed her so much that her brother had kept so many secrets for so long.

She walked back into the house, having gone outside to talk to her husband in private, and she could see Sarah and his brother sitting at an oak desk. From a distance, she could see Sarah lay an arm around her brother, and talk to him in a loving manner. She wondered in that moment what had been the deal between them for so long. For her it had always been so clear that these two had been in love for years, but it never went somewhere, she wondered if anything had been real between them, though she couldn't imagine either one of them had been such great actors. If they had been, they should both have been nominated for an Emmy.

She steadied herself, and walked towards the couple. Sarah looked at her with a little surprise, but she ignored the blonde woman she had considered a sister. "I need to talk to Chuck." She stated coldly, and she could immediately see a slightly tense look on his face.

Sarah looked between the two siblings, and then rose to her feet. "Right, there's something I need to do anyway." She said, as she picked up the laptop, and left the room after saying a simple goodbye to Chuck.

Ellie took the seat that was previously vacated by Sarah, and started looking intensely at her younger brother, the man that she had raised, the man that she had always trusted. She could see him squirm a little, she had put him in his place quite a few times when he was growing up, and she could see in his eyes that he feared that she was going to turn the heat up a little.

"Why didn't you tell me anything Chuck?" She stated with an edge on her voice.

"I wanted to El, I wanted to from the first day." He started, his face showed remorse, while his voice was thick with emotion. "They told me not to. They said it was the only way to keep you safe."

"Yeah well that worked great now, didn't it?" She replied sarcastically. "I just don't understand how you could keep this from me."

"Neither do I." He replied honestly. "I wanted you to know I was actually making something of myself. And more than anything I wanted you to know about Dad."

She sighed, "How did you get into the CIA anyway? Did Sarah recruit you?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "What Sarah? Sarah had nothing to do with me joining the CIA. Well that's not entirely true, she's the only reason that when Bryce made sure I did, I wasn't send into some secure facility."

"Wait, Bryce? Bryce from Stanford did this?" She asked in shock.

He seemed to ignore her a little. "Didn't dad tell you any of this?"

"He just told me about the Intersect, and what it was, and that he designed it."

Chuck exhaled loudly, as he ran his hand through his curls. "Ok here is what happened." He said as he started explaining everything that happened, from his days at Stanford, to Bryce sending him the intersect, and his trip to Prague and Rome. She just listened to him silently, only asking a few questions here and there. Her admiration grew for her brother with every revelation, just like she felt more sadness for him that he had to go through this without her help. But there was something he was still a little vague about.

"So this thing between you and Sarah has always been a lie?"

"Sarah and I." He started, thinking for a second on how to continue. "It's com,-" He began saying but she interrupted him.

"I swear to God Chuck, if you say it's complicated one more time, I'm going to slap you so hard, you're going to see enough stars to fill an entire galaxy" She threatened, feeling sick and tired of the constant excuses, and just wanting the truth about it for once.

"It was as real, as we were allowed to make it." He replied after thinking for a few more seconds.

She looked at him questioningly, basically forcing him to continue. "The feelings were real, it's just the rest that was a lie. It's against CIA protocol for a handler to actually date her asset."

"Wow." She muttered. She couldn't imagine how hard that must have been for the both of them. "So what about now?"

He look down to the floor, and then back at her for a moment, a small smile cracking through the pained expression that he had on his face for a while now. "A lot has happened this last year, but we're working on it." He stated with an honest voice.

"Good, it's clear you two love each other, it would be a shame to waste that." She replied giving her brother a smile he returned as she did so..

The two siblings looked at each other for a few moments in silence. "I'd better get ready for when Devon gets here." She then said with the same smile she had, had on her face when she had heard his voice again.

He simply nodded, while she got up and left.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah had retreated into Chuck's bedroom, she'd hope he'd want her to stay with him again tonight, but for now she'd just think of it as his. But that wasn't why she was there, she had other reasons to retreat into a little more private surroundings. There was someone she needed to talk to.

It was one of the things she had discussed with Orion, the need she felt to talk to Beckman, the need to confront her once more about everything that happened, and the need to make a deal with her. If anything, Beckman could consider herself lucky that she was even willing to do just that. The only thing stopping her from really destroying Beckman was Chuck. She was certain he'd never agree with her old enforcer methods.

So in stead of visiting the general personally, she was now sitting in a bedroom, in some safehouse near Burbank, all lights turned off, and the blinds closed, so there wouldn't be anything to identify their position with. The only dim light in the room, came from the screen of one of Orion's laptops. She was grateful that for now, he had at least agreed with her, that this was worth a shot, though they both had been sceptical about it's chance for success.

She placed her lean fingers on the keys, and started entering a few commands. As soon as she was satisfied, she took one deep breath, and pressed enter, waiting for a connection to be made with Langley.

To her surprise there seemed to be actual progress, she had used some of her old codes, she had always figured that once someone was classified as Rogue that they would disable those. Within seconds, she saw the familiar office, and the familiar woman sitting behind a desk.

"Walker?" The red headed agent said in surprise, but within seconds she had found her composure again. "You listen to me Walker,-" She started with a threatening voice, but the blonde agent did not set this up to be yelled at.

"No, for a change it's your turn to listen." She interrupted, with an edge on her voice. "I got the intersect, and I got a lot more intel on the Ring than you, so I'm in charge, you got that?" She continued, her voice sounding slightly smug.

The general grumbled a little, while she glared at the screen. "You know Diane, you need to work on your appreciation of people coming to you with good offers." She stated amused.

"Just get on with it Walker." The general exclaimed in annoyance.

"Patience Diane. You can't have it your way all the time anymore." She replied with a small smirk. "But here's the deal, Chuck and I will destroy the Ring. We will hand you the Elders."

"What do you want in return Walker?"

"I'm so glad you asked Diane, because I always like this part." She replied, clapping her hands together in fake excitement. "Here it is Diane. Once we stop the Ring, you leave us alone. Furthermore while we fight the Ring you leave us alone. And I don't just mean Chuck and myself, I mean everyone, all of our friends, all of his family. And let's get this straight general, if I only even so much as see or hear one agent while we fight the Ring, I'll end you. If I ever see one agent after this is done, I'll end you, if I even so much as suspect that you are keeping track of us," she paused for a moment, before continuing in the same threatening voice. "Yes you guessed it, I'll end you."

"You wouldn't dare Walker." Beckman replied through gritted teeth.

"Are you willing to take that risk Diane?" She asked challengingly. "You know of my reputation as an enforcer, and that was before I had something to protect. You have no idea what I'm capable off now that I do." She said, cracking her knuckles while her eyes narrowed at the screen. She could see the anger in the older agent's face.

"We'll contact you later with the names, goodbye Diane." With that she ended the connection. She couldn't help the great feeling that came over her, after having taken control of the situation. In truth, a small part of her even hoped that Beckman would try to get them. She really wanted to have some time alone with the general.

X-X-X-X-X

For the first time in days he felt like he might live long enough to get past the next month. The elders had been more than disappointed with the half failure of the Shaw Operation. In their mind, gaining all the data needed to get a functioning intersect was useless without Carmichael, or Bartowski or whatever the hell his name really was. All they knew was, they didn't have a suitable host, they didn't have a working intersect, and they had sustained casualties that in their mind were unacceptable.

In a way he knew they were right, it was true that he had lost some of his best agents, and a very valuable asset in Shaw, but at least they had more intel on the human intersect, and even without an intersect host, having the computer itself would be a huge benefit in their fight against the several intelligence agencies in the world.

Still when he had raised such points, the elders had insisted he had failed them, and that they would not tolerate more failure. To add substance to their threats they had executed one of his aids, and one of the few survivors of the Shaw debacle. It was a grim reminder of what was at stake for all of the people involved with The Ring, and that not even his status as the Director would keep him safe from such consequences.

It wasn't like he needed to be reminded, it wasn't like he was the first Director the organisation had, had in the time that he was active in it. He must have seen at least a dozen pass through, and most had disappeared under strange circumstances.

His mood had been slightly defeatist for a few days, until one of his agents had called him, saying he had someone that wanted to come work for them, someone that knew about Carmichael. Someone in fact that had worked with him. It had been enough for the agent to bypass the normal protocol of testing the agent, so that's why he would be meeting with her in a few minutes. He had something special in mind for her, there would be no way back for her after this one.

He got up out of his chair, and walked up to one of the wooden cabinets in his office, and set a crystal glass down on it. Carefully he filled it up with some scotch. He brought the glass to his mouth, and took a sip, as he started making his way back to his desk. With a soft dud, he placed the glass in front of him. Only minutes later he heard his secretary over the internal line.

"Agents Small and Mitchells are here to see you sir." She stated in a sugary sweet voice.

"Very good, send them in." He replied, setting himself straight in his chair, wanting to look as imposing as possible.

He eyed the two agents entering his office, and he was sure there was a gleam in his eyes. He was quite certain he was going to enjoy this.

"Please take a seat." He said in his most charming voice, to the two relatively young agents.

They both muttered their thanks, as they set themselves down in the chairs across from him. He could see the typical arrogance in Small's face, while the girl seemed cool and calculated, though he had the feeling she was slightly nervous, which only made him feel better.

"Agent Mitchells, I understand you are willing to join us." He began, his eyes boring into her.

"Yes sir." She replied, in a stern voice.

"That's good." He said thoughtfully. "Tell me why are you so interested."

She seemed to take a moment to think. "Well sir, I felt the CIA was lacking in support. So I figured, if they don't appreciate me, I'll find someone that will."

"Oh rest assured Agent Mitchells, when you complete your assignment, you'll definitely get our appreciation."

"Thank you sir." She replied, expressing a small smile of gratitude.

"But despite that, we need to test your loyalty, so we came up with a fun little assignment for you and your new partner here." He said, already looking forward to sharing his plan with them.

The two new partners looked at each other, and then turned their focus back on the Director, both looking at him questioningly.

"I want you to kill General Beckman." He stated with a devious grin across his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Kayla was staring at the stale white wall in front of her, while she was mindlessly fidgetting with her phone. Immediately after the meeting with the Ring Director she had gone here, Walker's old apartment, and the place that Morgan was now living in, as long as they needed to be in the area. Without a doubt she was more than grateful he was there with her, she was glad Orion had insisted she wouldn't go there alone.

Ever since The Director, as apparently everybody called him, he didn't even seem to have a name, had told her to kill Beckman, she had been in shock. She had barely been able to get through the end of their meeting without showing her true emotions about it, in fact as soon as she had left the man that was now known as her new partner, she had needed some time to compose herself. If her training hadn't been as good as it really was, her reaction would have given her away.

She felt some desperation about what she would have to do now. There were just a few things that she knew for certain, she could not kill Beckman, she could not, not kill Beckman, and there was no way to fake kill someone, not when the people that were going to need evidence would send someone in the room with you.

Silently she let herself fall back in the chair she was sitting on, feeling the distinct desire to scream at the top of her lungs from the frustration she was feeling. She knew it had been a bad idea to go on this assignment, this was exactly the kind of demand that she was scared of. There was no way she could do this, but if she didn't they would kill her, without a doubt, both her and Beckman would be dead by this time tomorrow if she didn't do it.

In the end, the question was if it would be worth it. She knew her assignment was important, there was no way that they would be able to effectively destroy the Ring unless they would find out the identity of the Elders, and in order to do that, she would have to impress them. She just wasn't sure if she was willing to lose herself in order to do so. The past few years she had fought to keep herself from disappearing, to prevent herself of becoming an empty shell, but there was no way in her mind that she could rationalize killing Beckman, let alone when she would be looking in her eyes.

Her thoughts were ultimately interrupted by the sound of someone fumbling with keys out in the hallway. Instinctively she reached for her gun, her heart rate picking up as she did so. Instinctively she also wanted to relocate to a better position, knowing full well that if the person that was about to open the door was enemy operative, she would be riddled with rounds, as soon as the door opened. However just as she was about to rise to her feet, to relocate, the door already flung open, revealing the figure of the person she had hoped it would be.

Feeling her heart rate slow down again, as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she put the safety back on her sidearm, and returned to her previous position. Meanwhile he looked over her with his typical smile, which helped put her at ease just a little. Involuntarily she returned his smile, though she wasn't sure if the smile drowned out the worry on her face. If it didn't, he didn't seem to notice as he began talking.

"Hey Kayla," He started with a surprised voice, as he smiled at her, before starting to walk further into apartment. "Didn't expect to see you here today." He continued cheerily, while he walked into the small kitchen area, seemingly oblivious to her mood.

"You know," He continued, now standing in the kitchen, his voice was raised a little, so she would be able to hear him speak. "I went out to try some of the local sizzling shrimp, and to my surprise I even came across some that were nearly as good as the ones Chuck and I usually had back in Burbank." He said, his voice revealing his joy about his find.

Moments later he walked back into the room, holding a plate in his hands, and for a second she couldn't believe he would be eating again, if he really had been sampling them all over town. But instead of eating them himself he handed her the plate, giving her a small smile as he did so.

"Try it out." He stated softly, "I guarantee that you'll love it."

She looked at him and tried to give him a small smile, before glancing back at the plate. "Thanks Morg." She said in a slightly forced voice, as she kept her eyes trained at the food on the plate. Truth be told, it did look great, but she just wasn't in the mood to eat, her stomach feeling twisted about what they wanted her to do.

He finally seemed to notice her mood, as he looked into her eyes with a worried expression. "What's wrong?" He asked, with a sincere voice.

She sighed, as she looked at him, surprised and glad at the same time, that he had caught on to her mood. She sucked in a deep breath before speaking. "They want me to kill Beckman."

"What!" He exclaimed loudly, as his eyes widened. "You can't." He continued with a raised voice.

"I know that Morgan." She bit out. "I'm just not sure if I can get out of this situation." She told him wearily.

He looked at her, seemingly unsure of what to say. He had a conflicted look in his eyes, the same look that she was certain had taken control of her own. She didn't even want to try to hide any of her emotions, not here, not with him, she had done enough of that around the Ring agents.

As she looked at him, she realised that there was only one option left. It was something she had hoped to avoid, wanting to solve this herself, but there didn't seem another way. She looked at her watch, and then looked back up at Morgan. "Listen Morg, I need you to do something for me."

He looked at her questioningly, though she could see a now almost familiar mixture of eagerness and fear in his eyes. "Call Orion, tell him that The Ring is going to assassinate Beckman."

"Okay." He drawled, sceptical about what she was planning.

"Just do it Morg." She said slightly annoyed, though she wasn't really annoyed at him. "Tell him it's going to happen tomorrow night, in her private residence, he'll know what to do." She finished her voice now far more composed than it had been before.

He looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Sure." He muttered. "Whatever you need."

She flashed him a smile, "Thanks Morgan." She said sincerely, placing her hand on his for a second, before finally taking one of the shrimps on her mouth.

"This is really good." She said, another piece of shrimp already in her mouth.

He looked almost flabbergasted at her complete change of demeanour, before smiling, "You see, I told you." He stated almost proudly.

She couldn't help but smile, as she kept on eating. For the first time since her meeting, she felt some hope. She just hoped Orion would be able to set things up in time.

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck and Sarah were snuggled together in silence, on the small sofa that was present in the safehouse. Her head was resting on his shoulder, while his arm was wrapped around her protectively, while his finger tips were mindlessly running up and down her arm. Despite the fact that the movie they had been watching had long ended, and the screen just gave of some faint light, neither had taken any action to move.

And she had to admit, she hadn't felt this peaceful since he had downloaded the 2.0. Actually she wasn't sure if she had ever felt so peaceful. Sure there was still a lot hanging over them, and they had not yet resolved everything between them, but she was more than glad that she was once again able to snuggle into him like she was now. Despite everything that was still hanging over them, in a lot of ways, things seemed more hopeful. At least now their feelings were out there, and they weren't doing this ridiculous dance around each other. At least, now they were able to truthfully talk about things, a big relief from how things used to be. It really seemed to her, that they would both get what they both had dreamed about for so long.

It was something she would have never admitted to herself before him, but having a peaceful life, one like he had always aspired to, was exactly what she wanted herself. Deep down she had known it ever since she had walked it into the Burbank Buy More, deep down she knew that desire had always been there, he had just brought it to the surface.

She let out a contented sigh, not being sure how she had been able to survive so long without this. When he had suggested that they watch a movie together, her mind had immediately flashed back to the blissful nights that they had spent at Casa Bartowski. Without a doubt those were her fondest memories, and now she was finally able to add to those memories again, even if he seemed far more tense than he had been back in Burbank.

Despite the long time between the present, and the last time they had done something like this, she could still easily read him. Though she wasn't sure if it was much of an achievement now, but still it pleased her that she was able to.

She lifted her head a little, to look at his face. His eyes were closed, but as she expected he seemed to be in thought, and the tenseness of his jaw suggested exactly what she had been feeling, he was tense about something. She guessed it would have to do with Shaw, but she couldn't be sure. In the past she would have often just let him deal with things himself, but she wanted to be there for him, even if she was uncertain and a little scared to, so she decided to break the silence.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked softly.

"What did they tell you, when they told you to kill Eve Shaw?" He asked her with a slightly strained voice.

Her eyes widened in surprise, as she pulled back a little so it would be easier to look at him. "What? Where is this coming from Chuck?" She asked in a surprised tone.

"It's just.." He started, taking a moment to think before continuing. "I'm trying to understand you know? I'm trying to understand how you can deal with all of it."

She put her head back on his shoulder. She wasn't sure if she could look him in the eyes when talking about her red test, not to mention that she craved the comfort of his touch as she did so. "The only thing they told me was that she was a traitor." She told him ruefully, ever since Shaw had told her the truth she had been wondering about the why of her red test as well. And even if she didn't let it get to her too much, it did increase the burden of her red test.

"Right." He muttered slightly dejected.

"I know how that sounds Chuck." She started in a voice that was now laced with emotion, "I just didn't feel like I had a choice. The only things I've ever known are the Agency, and conning people with my dad. So when they told me I had to kill her to keep that sense of purpose in my life…" She paused a moment to steady herself, feeling the pain from the memory flash through her. "I never questioned any of it. I trusted them, I trusted Graham."

He gently squeezed her shoulder, as he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry." He whispered softly.

She looked up at his face, giving him a small painful smile, while their eyes connected for just a moment, before she looked away again.

"It's okay." She started her voice barely audible. "I know what it sounds like Chuck, that it sounds like I'm some remorseless killer, but I'm not. That day has haunted me for the last five years." She continued her eyes now slightly moist, and as she once again looked up to him, she could see he was moved as well.

"I know you're not." He said, his eyes boring into hers, while his voice was slightly shaky. There was no way for her to describe in words to him how important that was for her, that he knew that she was more than just a spy, more than just some tool they could use, but still she wanted him to know how special that was for her, how rare it was for her to be seen as a person, so she continued.

"The fact is Chuck," She started again, her voice still soft and thick with emotion. "Graham just knew how to use me, how to play me, how to use me like a tool. The truth is, every man I've met has done the exact same thing. Every man except for you." She finished, giving him a slightly wry smile as she did so.

She could see her words had an effect on him, his mood had gone from tense to a sadness she had rarely seen in him.

"Listen to me." He urged her tenderly, "You are not some tool to use and discard, okay? You are an amazing young woman, who's capable of anything she wants, and that includes a lot more than being a spy. I wouldn't love you if you weren't. You just need to believe it yourself."

She looked in his eyes, and for a moment she didn't see the pain that she had caused, or any of the pain that had been a result of his confrontation with Shaw, in that moment his eyes just showed the love she used to see in them, long before Prague. She was certain that in that moment her own eyes conveyed much of the same emotion, his words having caused her heart to flutter.

"Okay.' She finally said, before smiling at him. "And just so you know," She continued, pulling back from his embrace a little more, before moving to lean up towards him. "I love you too." She finished, before she closed the final gap, her lips brushed over his, before she moved to deepen the kiss, her hands taking hold of his curly brown hair, while she could feel his hands roam across her back, slowly making their way to the hem of her shirt, while their tongues fought for control.

They continued to lose themselves in each other, both unsure how long the kiss had gone on for, when they were finally interrupted by someone clearing their throat, causing both to abruptly pull away and look up like two teenagers that were caught making out. They were greeted by the form of Devon Woodcombe, who had a smirk on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt guys." He began, "but Chuck, your dad wants to hold a meeting. Something about Morgan having called." He finished, before turning to leave them alone again, but almost immediately he turned back to face them, to add almost as an afterthought. "By the way, totally awesome." He said with a smirk, pointing from the one agent to the other.

She felt a small blush on her cheeks, which despite the slight pang of worry, was accompanied by the urge to laugh, as she turned her head to face him. The urge to laugh quickly dissipated by the change in demeanour that was easily noticeable in him. So in stead of laughing she reached over for his hand, and gave it a small squeeze.

"I'm sure everything is fine Chuck." She stated, while she gave him a supportive smile.

He looked her in the eye with a slightly pained expression, while the worry flashed through his eyes. After a few seconds he merely nodded, and with a short nod of her own, she rose to her feet. Their fingers were still intertwined, so she gently pulled him to his feet, and started leading him to the makeshift conference room.

X-X-X-X-X

It was barely minutes later when the team was assembled around the small makeshift conference table again. The only difference in the set up seemed to be that Devon had taken Morgan's usual seat, a sight that instantly filled him with dread about what was going on. There was no way this was anything innocent, Kayla would have never told Morgan to call if nothing was going on.

Just like at the previous meetings, he could feel the warmth of her soft hand, around his own. He was sure that her presence, and her touch were the only things keeping him sane right now. Ever since he had shot Shaw, any mention of a mission would bring back flashes of that night, often mixed with the nightmare versions he would still get treated to at night. By now he was quite certain he had what most would describe as post traumatic stress disorder.

The worst part for him was that he wouldn't be able to help his team out, despite the fact that he really wanted to, and that they might need him to, she wouldn't allow it anyway, she had made that perfectly clear by now. He had always done everything that he could do to help them, but he feared now that he would freeze up when he would be sent into the field. He feared what that would mean to them.

It didn't help that the whole day he kept being reminded of it. In even the simplest of things he would be reminded of what he had been forced to do. It was one of the reasons he had asked her to watch a movie with him, cuddled up together on the couch. He wanted nothing more to feel her, to have her touch comfort him. But he had just ended up thinking about how she could deal with all of it. He just wanted to be able to deal with it like she seemed to.

None of it seemed to work, and the frustration he felt by it was growing, and now his best friend might be in trouble, and he probably wouldn't be able to help him. Not to mention that his fear for what could happen to all of them had grown. He had never been more aware of how lucky they were for the fact that they were still all alive.

He could feel her squeeze his now slightly moist hand a little, causing him to look at her. The love he saw in them, almost seemed to have been ever present in them, ever since she had dragged him out of that compound. It was exactly what he had wanted to see for so long, but now, it didn't help that this was all hanging over them. He had just wanted to spent this night being normal, or as normal as possible, and without worrying about what the spy world had in store for them. But as he had learned the hard way over the past three years, a spy doesn't get to choose, and again the situation had been chosen for them.

Finally his thoughts were interrupted, by his father, which only caused him to tense up a little more.

"Sorry to disrupt your evenings." He started with a wry smile, "but we got a matter that can't really wait any longer." He continued, causing the feeling of dread in Chuck's stomach to increase. He glanced over to the blonde agent sitting next to him, but she apparently had her game face back on, her expression completely neutral now.

"It seems like The Ring wants agent Mitchells to kill General Beckman." The older Bartowski finished in a completely neutral voice.

He felt some relief at what his father just told him, which was instantly replaced with an outright concern about how they would get out of this, but one thought stood out. Before he knew what happened he blurted it out. "She can't."

His father looked at him, as did the rest of the people at the table, but the blonde was the first to speak. "We know Chuck." She stated softly, with a supportive smile, and another light squeeze on his hand. "But I'm sure your dad already has something figured out for us."

The senior Bartowski almost looked smugly, as if to say, naturally I have, don't I always? But instead he moved on to tell them his plan. "That's why the Major, and Agent Walker here, are going to stop them."

Upon hearing the plan he felt fear grip his heart, as his mind went to all the things that could happen to her. The same mind that had created those dreadful images in the first place. He had been treated to so many images of her being hurt, that he now feared for her to go on a mission as well. Not once had he questioned her safety like this before everything had happened, but it was like the reality of what they did had finally caught up.

She however seemed unfazed by his words, much like the Major who gave a short grunt, before she talked almost business like. "When do you want us to leave?" She questioned.

"In the morning, I already arranged the flight." Was his curt reply.

His eyes rested on her face, and as they did so, he felt the distinct urge to help and protect her. He wasn't entirely sure why he thought he would be able to, all he knew was that he wanted to come along.

"I want to go with them." He finally said, his voice a lot firmer than he had expected.

"Absolutely not." She immediately exclaimed with a finality to her voice.

Casey immediately seemed to back her. "I agree with Walker. No way you are up for it Bartowski."

He looked at his father pleadingly, "I'm sorry Charles, but it's better if you stay here." He said apologetically.

He once again looked around the table pleadingly, but deep down he knew they were right. He wasn't up for it, he wasn't sure if he ever would be again, all he knew was he wanted to be there for her, for the both of them. "Fine" He ultimately huffed, while he dropped his head slightly in defeat.

"Okay then, let's get on with the rest of the plan." His father said, as he started explaining the details of what was supposed to happen. Making sure both agents were fully aware of the situation at Beckman's residence where the mission would be going down.

"Any questions?" He finished, looking from the one agent to the other.

Both agents remained silent, clearly indicating that they understood what was expected of them, something that didn't really surprise anyone at the table.

"Good, then let's try to enjoy what's left of this day." He said with a smile.

Sarah immediately rose to her feet, as did Casey and Devon, while Ellie just remained seated, just like her father. The moment Chuck started to follow Sarah's lead, his father spoke up. "I need you to stay a little while longer Charles, there's one more thing we need to discuss."

He looked at Sarah, who looked at him with the same confusion before shrugging. With a sigh he let himself fall back into the chair, and look at his father thinking, this better be good.

X-X-X-X-X

She was lying in Chuck's bed, with her head nuzzled in his chest, while his arm was wrapped protectively around her. It was a position she had always been most comfortable, and peaceful in since the days back in Burbank, and now that he allowed her to sleep in that position again, she definitely never wanted it to end.

Still she was going to have to leave both the bed, and the position soon enough. It was exactly the reason why she had been awake for the last few hours, and judging by how his body felt, he was feeling much of the same. She knew he had been awake even longer than she had been, his breathing was a sure sign of that. Not only that, but she had felt his grip slowly tighten around her, it was clear that he didn't want her to go, and honestly neither did she.

Almost mindlessly, she let her hand slip under the hem of the shirt he was wearing, and started drawing patterns across his stomach.

X-X-X-X-X

They had finally made it to Beckman's private residence, and were now making their way through the eerily quiet and dark place. Both agents had been almost completely silent, but they both knew it was likely that it was already too late, the unlocked door had been a sure tell sign that the other operatives had already gotten there before them. Not that, that was really surprising.

Still they were staying true to their training, making sure to stay silent, to stay vigilant, and to check every corner. Not to mention that, even if they might be too late, the same nerves that were usually there were present, and so she found herself checking to see him at her side multiple times, and every time had to remind herself that he wasn't around. That he was safe back at the other side of the country.

She had no idea that she could miss him this much on a mission, after all this had been her first mission since they had been separated because of their different assignments. One thing was certain to her, she would have never made it more than a few months in the field without him. She wasn't even sure how she had ever made it through without him. Silently it caused her to wonder, what had happened to make her so dependant on someone, what had happened to make her, the wild card enforcer, so soft that she had trouble functioning without a nerd.

Granted he had always been her nerd, and she had always been the one to protect him. Well that is from physical harm, she was only now starting to understand the real pain she had put him through. And all that kept standing out, was that he deserved better from her.

She scolded herself for letting herself get distracted by him. He deserved her to keep her mind in the game, he deserved her back in one piece. After everything they had been through, after everything she had put him through, he deserved her best, not just when they were together.

So she started following Casey up the stairs, step by step, the soft creaking noise now accompanying the sound of the rain that was cascading down the windows. But even as they reached the top of the stairs, she couldn't see or hear anyone. And the uncomfortable feeling set in her stomach that they really had been to late. At least, there was still some hope. No body, meant no dead, but that could change real soon, that was the nature of the sick and twisted game they played.

She kept following the season agent, who probably was the best partner she had ever had. Trying, and succeeding to check every inch she could, feeling the unnerving reality of the situation set across her, as the rain had changed into a thunderstorm. The occasional lightning now illuminating the house. And all she really felt like doing had become, storm through the house, and get back to Chuck.

Finally they reached another door, in the middle of the hallway. The gruff agent stopped next to it, and whispered barely audible. "Ready?"

In stead of answering she raised her gun a little, and used it to motion towards the door. Within seconds he had swung open the door, the scene it revealed causing her eyes to widen.


	13. Chapter 13

In stead of answering she raised her gun a little, and used it to motion towards the door. Within seconds he had swung open the door, the scene it revealed causing her eyes to widen.

Sarah's eyes focused on the still form that was present in the room, she couldn't really believe what was happening. Momentarily she looked at her partner, he too was fixed into place, while his eyes were widened in shock. The cascading water on the windows the only sound interrupting the eerie silence, and to her it felt like the right sound to go with the scene, something that actually reminded her of some of those movies that Chuck always forced her to watch. She felt some relief that they had kept him at home, because this wasn't something that he would have been able to handle in his current condition. She was certain of that.

She was the first of the two seasoned agents to move, and it surprised her that her partner had so much trouble seeing what had happened. Though if she was honest with herself she knew how much honour and service meant to men like John Casey, but this reaction was another testament to how much he had grown over the years. Before they had gone to Burbank, they both would have easily walked away from this, and had just stated it was for the greater good.

Carefully she walked further into the room, and as she reached the bed she could feel the carpet getting a little soggy from the blood that had been soaked into it. She was certain that her shoes would be red with blood once they left this place, and she promised herself to clean them, not wanting Chuck to see any of it. Not wanting him to freak out anymore, because one thing she was certain of was that he was still fragile, progress or not.

Thunder filled her ears, as the sudden lightning lighted up the room while she finally reached the still female form on the bed. Despite the fact that she was fully aware of the reality of the situation she needed to make certain, they couldn't take any chances. So she placed her finger in the woman's neck, and tried to find a pulse.

With a sad look on her face, she looked back at Casey, who had moved himself closer as well, a grim look on his face. "She's dead John." She stated in a hushed tone, while shaking her head. "Nothing we can do for her now."

The other agent let out a loud sigh, while running his hand through his blond hair. "This is no way to go. She deserved better than this Walker." He said in a gruff voice.

She turned back around before muttering softly, "I know."

Her eyes looked around the room again, there was one more thing she needed to do here. Ever since Chuck had brought up the theme of her red test, she wanted to know what they had on Eve Shaw, if she really had been a double agent, or if she had killed an innocent, if the whole mess with Shaw, if the whole mess they were in now was for nothing. Truthfully, she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

She once again looked at Casey, and she could see that he was anxious to get out of here, and so was she. "I need to get on Beckman's computer." She told him, as she started walking towards the door.

Casey started rushing after her, "What are you talking about Walker?"

She didn't stop walking while she answered him. "Chuck mentioned something the other day, there's something I need to know. I'm hoping that the answer is on there."

She could hear the faint, yet distinct sound of one of his grunts, as she kept moving down the house, trying to found the office they had come across earlier.

It didn't take her long to find it, and she immediately rushed towards the desk, placed her Smith & Wesson on the desk, and set to work. Not only did she want answers, but she knew it was probably not the best idea to stick around here for too long. The Ring usually was smart enough to think things through, who knows what they would be up to right now. Perhaps they would come barging through the doors with some tactical team. So instead of trying to access the computer in the place she was now, she started copying the hard drive, hoping that there weren't some safeguards on it.

She heard someone approaching her, and she let the device she had plugged into the computer drop out of her hands, and immediately picked up the weapon she had placed down moments earlier. But instead of the enemy, the doorway revealed the large figure of her partner.

"Hurry up Walker." He bit out, and she rolled her eyes, while she continued to work.

Barely a minute later she wrapped up what she was doing, flung the device back in her backpack, and rose back to her feet. "All right, let's go." She said with a small nod to her partner.

Before she could say another word the former NSA Agent was hurrying out of the house, forcing her to pick up the pace to keep up with him. It wasn't anything new, she knew he liked to feel he was in command, and she was glad that judging by this mission at least nothing had changed between them professionally, even if he had made his disappointment in her on a personal level clear earlier.

It didn't take them long to reach the car, which they both entered in silence. She could feel the unspoken tension in the air, both were trying to come to terms with what they had seen in their own way, and for spies that usually meant alone and in silence.

For her that meant focusing on _him_ as they raced through the streets, she wished he was there with her. She just wanted to feel his touch, as it was the only thing that had been able to calm her ever since she had arrived in Burbank. Though she knew it was for the best he wasn't there, there was no doubt she really needed him near her in these moments. It was a desire, no a need, that kept growing every day.

Her hands slightly shaking, she drew her phone out of her pocket, wanting to at least text Chuck that she was okay, or perhaps even call him to hear his voice, she hadn't really decided that. Her thoughts however were interrupted by Casey.

"What are you doing Walker?" He asked her in his typical way.

She glanced upto him, and then moved her eyes back to her phone, her fingers slowly searching for what she needed. "I need to call Chuck."

"You sure that's a good idea?" He asked cautiously.

She gave him a pointed look. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He let out an annoyed sigh. "Look Walker, I know you think you need your boytoy for whatever reason, but right now he doesn't need to know what happened. What he needs is a good nights sleep, and you placing new images in his head won't help him one bit."

She opened her mouth to speak, but upon seeing the movement he continued. "Sending him a message that you are okay, will only lead to questions. You know that the kid always needs to know everything. Be sensible Walker, and talk to him face to face."

She knew he was right that Chuck would ask questions, just like she was sure to put the images of her in his mind along with those that had been there since they had rescued Ellie, but still the phone lingered in her hands.

Ultimately she slid the phone back into her pocket, though she wasn't sure if she would be able to resist the urge to call him.

X-X-X-X-X

Ellie was wrapped up in her husband's strong arms, her head resting on his bare chest. She couldn't deny that even after all those years she felt she couldn't live without that man, and normally lying in his arms like this, it would have been just the thing she needed to go to sleep. Not today though, she had been awake for at least an hour, her mind was still all over the place.

Granted her mind had been all over the place ever since they had taken her, but after all the revelations, after everything they had failed to tell her over all those years things had only gotten worse. There was just so much to process, and despite her desires, she couldn't find a place that she could do just that. She missed her home, and her friends, not to mention her job, the feeling that she could make a difference on a daily basis.

There were enough emotions running through her mind, that in reality she just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Naturally she wouldn't, especially not with her husband sleeping like this. He had picked up on her mood earlier, but she had just sought the comfort of his touch, and he hadn't complained. Not that she expected him to, not that he would take advantage of her, but he knew her well enough to understand that that had been what she needed.

Still despite that, she still felt those conflicting emotions, it made her restless, restless enough for her to squirm herself out of his hold, and get out of the bed. She just needed to get some fresh air, the cool evening air always having been something she loved, even as a kid.

Her mom had once caught her out on the porch of their childhood home during the night, and instead of admonishing her for her behaviour on the spot, she had wrapped her arms around her, and they had spent hours just enjoying each others company. It was the most treasured memory she had of her mother, the one time that she felt her mother was fully there, and now she understood why.

She felt the anger rush through her veins again as she remembered what her father told her, as she pulled some clothing on, ignoring the fact that her feet were getting cold by the hardwood floor. Before silently tiptoeing her way out of the room, not wanting to wake up her husband.

When she reached the door, she opened it, yet lingered in the doorframe, leaning back against the doorpost. She couldn't help but feel her heart swell with love as she watched the still frame of her husband, and she just couldn't imagine having to leave him, having to leave the family she hoped to have with him one day, just because of orders or whatever the hell their excuse had been. They should have been there for them, nothing should have come before that.

Frustrated yet with restraint she closed the door, not wanting to wake anyone up, she moved as silently as she could towards the outer door. And a part of her couldn't help but think about the times she should have snuck out of their house when she was a teenager instead of parenting her little brother, something her parents should have done. Not that she regretted anything she had done for Chuck, she truly loved him more than anything, even more than she loved her husband albeit in a different way, but sometimes she just wished that they hadn't stolen her childhood from her.

She reached the door, and to her surprise found it unlocked. She wondered if anyone had forgotten it, or perhaps there was something going on that she didn't know about. But when she opened the door, which creaked a little as she pushed against it, she saw her brother sitting in one of the chairs, his hands fidgeting with his phones. Despite her earlier feelings, she felt worried as his conflicted eyes met with hers for a moment before they stared back out over the woods.

"Can't sleep either huh?" She asked softly as she started approaching the chair next to him.

In stead of speaking, he just shook his head no.

Cautiously she sat herself down, and for a moment she resisted the urge to mother him and she just sat there in silence, just like their mother had done with her all those years before. Still Ellie being Ellie couldn't resist the urge to find out some more.

"Worried about Sarah?" She asked in a concerned voice, placing her hand on his lower arms as she did so.

He looked at her but still didn't speak, though she could see in his eyes that she was right. "You know, I'm sure they are going to be fine Chuck. How long has Sarah been doing this? years? And well Casey is almost just as old as dad, so he should definitely have enough experience."

He couldn't help but smile a little at that. "Better not let Casey hear you are calling him old sis."

"Like he'd hurt me, he wouldn't be able to live without my cooking anyway." She shrugged.

"That he can't." The younger Bartowski agreed, "I'm sure he'd asked for re-assignment if it hadn't been for your cooking skills." He said amused.

She couldn't help but laugh a little before they fell in a for more comfortable silence. This time he was the one to break it.

"I just can't help but worry about her, about them." He started in an earnest voice. "I don't even fully understand why, they are both amazing at what they do, at what we do." He sighed before continuing. "Logically there is nothing to worry about, I just wouldn't know what to do if I lose her again."

Despite her heart almost breaking by the sound of his voice, she couldn't help but feel glad that he was at least honest and open with her again. It felt like for them this could be a fresh start, a start in which their bond was the same as it had been before this whole intersect business.

She placed her hand on his, and gently squeezed it. "It's all going to be fine, I promise." She told him soothingly.

He gave her a wry smile, as he nodded his head weakly, before they returned to silence. Her hand was still placed on his, something she hoped would help him calm down a little.

"What are you doing out of bed anyway? I figured with Devon here you wouldn't have any trouble sleeping."

She was taken aback slightly by his question. She knew he had been struggling with a lot of things recently, and she definitely didn't want to add to it. But she knew that if she wanted him to be honest, the least she could do was return the favour.

She took a deep breath before talking "I was just thinking about things. About what happened these last years, what happened with that Shaw guy, and above all about what dad told us. I just can't believe they abandoned us like that."

"Isn't it better though?" He asked pensively.

"Better?" She questioned him in disbelief.

"Yeah I mean, we always thought they just left us right? Without any reason." He continued.

She eyed him questioningly.

"At least now we know why they left, that it wasn't because of us. That it was just them making the wrong choice, for what seemed to them the right reasons." He continued sadly.

"I guess." She muttered. "I just don't understand how they could leave us, how anyone could abandon their family like that."

"I know." He said dejectedly. "That's why I think we need to talk to dad tomorrow."

She couldn't deny there were benefits in talking to their father, but she was still mad at him, at them for what had happened. Still the benefits outweighed any negative side, she couldn't avoid him anyway.

"Fine." She replied with an edge on her voice.

"By the way El." Her brother started, forcing her to look at him. "I really am sorry for everything that has happened, with mom and dad leaving, with me lying because of the CIA." He continued, the remorse was clear in his voice. "I just need you to know that I love you, and that I'm extremely grateful for all that you have done for me. You truly are amazing sis."

She looked into his soft brown eyes, her own eyes feeling slightly moist again, as she leaned in to hug him. As she did so she whispered into his ear, "I love you too little brother, just don't lie to me again."

"I won't, I promise." He whispered back, his hold on her tightening slightly.

They held each other for a little while longer till they were interrupted by the distinct sound of an incoming text message. Chuck immediately pulled back to look at his phone, and couldn't help the relieved smile that spread across his face.

"I take it that's Sarah." She stated amused.

"Yeah." He breathed, "I'm just so relieved they are ok." He said with an emotional voice.

"I know." She smiled. "Me too." She said almost as an afterthought. Truth was, she felt slightly weird about Sarah, though she was certain that she made her brother happy, after everything that had been revealed to her these last few days, she wanted to talk to the blonde agent. She wanted to make sure that it hadn't all been an act, that she had been right when she thought she had seen the real Sarah.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her brother's voice. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep, at least now I might have a shot. Though granted without Sarah next to me I'm just going to end up having nightmares, but still who knows."

She had almost forgotten about his nightmares, but hearing about them again flared up her almost maternal instincts when it came to her brother. But before she could say anything, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"Night sis, I love you."

"Night Chuck." She replied, as she sank deeper into the chair, while she listened to his feet removing herself from her.

Finally she was looking out onto the horizon, the cool clean air filling her lungs, as she tried to empty her mind. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, when she heard someone call out to her from the doorway.

"You okay babe?" An all too familiar voice questioned her.

She looked around, the open doorway revealing the form of her husband. She figured he must have woken up and gone looking for her, getting up from the chair she moved towards him. Once she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am now."

X-X-X-X-X

The cold water of the shower was cascading down her body, while quiet tears escaped her eyes. She had already emptied out her stomach, having felt sick to her stomach ever since they had left the Beckman residence. The shower had quickly become her safe haven, she wasn't sure how long she had been in there, all she knew that this was the only place that she could be alone, that she could be away from him.

And that was what she really needed right now, she really needed to be alone, which was ironic because she had never felt more alone in her life. She just needed some time to herself to put things in perspective, to perhaps really come to terms with what she had been forced to do. But Small was still on her like a bloodhound, and tonight had been another glimpse of what he was capable of. The way he had gone to town on Beckman after she had shot her, had been nothing but sickening, it was an image now stuck in her mind.

She wasn't sure how she had survived the evening without showing any emotion to him, she supposed she had been numb ever since she had pulled the trigger. Or maybe just too shocked and disgusted to even move a single muscle. And a part of her wondered how people could do things like this voluntarily. Despite everything it was something that intrigued, it intrigued her to know why a guy like Small made the choice for this lifestyle.

Either way, she now had a problem. Beckman had been the only one within the DNI that had known about her mission, from now on anytime she would be forced to do something she had a problem. If any of the intelligence agencies caught wind of what she was doing, she would certainly be marked a traitor, and she knew full well what happened to those. She knew it well enough to create a small shiver of fear to course down her spine, as the fear was also gripping her heart. Her desperation to exit this place, just to run and not turn back was increasing with the second. It felt like the walls were closing in on her, both literally and figuratively.

She closed her eyes, and rested her forehead on the cold tiles in front of her. Flashes of the nights events kept rushing through her mind, and she did the best that she could to suppress them. She needed to compose herself and get out there. So she went through every step they had taught her at the Farm, and until now, they had always worked. But then again she had never killed someone from her own side.

For minutes she went through it, trying to use her breathing to steady her heart rate, and to force her mind to go some place else, or just go blank. There was just one emotion she could reach to replace what she was feeling and that was anger. Anger at them, that they hadn't been there on time, and that they had abandoned her. Anger at herself for trusting them, after all of this she wasn't sure what to think anymore, she wasn't sure if Chuck and his friends weren't really the bad guys after all. They sure as hell had been lousy partners.

Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted by a loud bang on the door, followed by his demanding voice. "That's enough Mitchells." He barked through the door. And she immediately felt herself cringe. She already loathed him more than she had ever loathed anyone in her life.

There however was no choice, he was still calling the shots. So she turned off the shower and stepped out, before drying herself off with the soft towel. She quickly pulled on the shirt she was going to wear to bed, combined with the comfortable sweatpants she was glad she had brought with her. And walked upto the door, placing her hand on the doorknob. She took one last moment to try to switch off her hatred for him. She couldn't give him any tells, a tell would be her downfall.

Taking a deep breath, she plastered a neutral expression over her face, and walked into the room, flopping herself down on her bed, before falling back against the pillows. As she did so, she let out a weary sigh, and started staring at the ceiling. Trying to focus on the slight texture in the material they had used to create it, trying anything to keep the rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions out of her mind.

Once again he interrupted her thoughts. "I almost thought you couldn't go through with it." He half snickered, from the other side of the room.

She forced the urge to throw something at him, preferably something heavy or sharp, or even better both, and instead tried to answer as neutrally as possible, "Just savouring the moment." She said, emphasizing her carelessness by adding a light shrug.

"If you say so." He stated unconvinced. "But if you ask me, I think you choked. I think you were freaking out, that we just cut of your only way of going back." He continued smugly.

Again she had to fight her responses, as she tried to prevent her eyes from widening. In stead she focused on the anger she had already felt before.

"What the hell is your problem anyway?" She bit out venomously. He really had been on her case since the moment they met.

"Mitchells, Mitchells, Mitchells…" He started sounding amused, while he shook his head, "You forget that we all used to work for governments before this as well."

He paused for a moment, almost expecting her to respond, but she stubbornly kept her eyes focused where they had been ever since she had settled on her bed.

"Don't worry, the director knows you're useful."

Useful she thought, what on earth was that supposed to mean?

"So what? Killing Beckman wasn't enough to earn his trust?" She found herself asking almost as if she needed to know the answer. And she immediately scolded herself for it.

"Don't play ignorant, you should know how the game is played by now." He replied dismissively.

With that the room returned to silence, and she realised he was right. She had always been a little too naïve, perhaps a little too trusting even. Again she wondered if she had been played by Chuck, if Morgan was in on it as well, and if he was if everything about them had been again. That perhaps they somehow worked for The Ring.

He flicked off the last of the lights, as he settled himself in for what remained of the night, and she found herself wondering if perhaps she should end this partnership now, and get it over with. But she knew she was stuck, she would have to play the hand she had been dealt. As she stared into the silence of the night, one thing stood out. She had never felt more alone.

X-X-X-X-X

Sitting at the table, Chuck was sure of only one thing, if any of the three Bartowski's, well technically there were only two Bartowski's and a former Bartowski there, not to mention the other Woodcombe that was present, but still if any of them had bothered to make something like pancakes he could have used his knife to cut the tension in the air. Not even Devon's attempts to crack a few jokes seemed to lighten his mood. And despite his hopes neither had the talk with his sister, it still seemed as if she was still ready to kill their father, and if he was honest he wasn't his biggest fan either right now.

Sure enough he had understood him, but that didn't mean he agreed with any of it. But it did show him something else, Sarah had been right that love and everything that comes with it, doesn't mix well with the spy world. It had really driven that point home. What if he and Sarah would ever get married, would he ever be forced to leave her and their children? He shuddered at the mere thought, and he realised that despite the hardships for him and his sister, it hadn't been easy for his parents either.

His sister's voice interrupted his thoughts, it was actually the first thing she said that wasn't a greeting. "So Chuck, how did you sleep?" She asked, the tension of the situation clear in her voice.

The question momentarily brought his mind back to the night before, despite the fact that Sarah had texted him he had felt something was off. A feeling that only increased after he had texted her back, asking how everything went. He really just wanted to make sure they were all right, but she had refused to tell him much. She just repeated that her and Casey were okay, that she was tired and wanted to go to bed, finishing with saying that she loved him.

The text only created more questions, and caused him to scratch his head. After the years they had worked together he knew when she didn't really want to tell him something.

"It was okay." He said unconvincingly, the truth was he had spent most of the night tossing and turning. Now he would have done that regardless without her next to him, in the short time they had been in the safehouse he had gotten used to her touch at night, but her cryptic texts hadn't helped much. Though if he were honest with himself, without knowing she was fine, he wouldn't have slept either.

His sister looked at him concerned, "Still worried about Sarah, huh? I thought she texted you?" She asked in a tone matching her face.

He sighed, "She did, it's just something felt off."

Ellie looked at him, looking ready to speak, but her father beat her to it. "Don't worry Charles, I talked to the Major this morning, everything was in order."

Chuck looked at him, trying to read his father's eyes to make sure he wasn't being fed some lie. When he didn't see anything that concerned him, he only felt relief. Though he still wondered why she had been so guarded the night before.

The next few minutes were filled with idle chitchat, though the tension was still there. It didn't help that his father was mostly silent, he really seemed hundreds of miles away at times. Not that that was something new, or surprising. His father had been absentminded ever since their mom had left, which only grew his questions about his mother.

He looked at his sister, and he could see the same pain he had seen there the day before, and for a moment he contemplated waiting. Ultimately his curiosity took over, and he turned his head to face his father.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" He asked cautiously, fully prepared to have him shoot him down.

Orion almost seemed to shake off what he was thinking about before blinking back into reality. "A question? Sure why not." He said with a slight shrug. And Chuck wondered for a second if his dad would still shrug it off if he knew what he was going to ask.

"I.." he started, his hesitation and concern only growing, "I was wondering where mom is now." He finished, looking from his father to his sister, who he saw move forward into her seat, despite the now slightly widened eyes.

He looked back to his father, and could see him thinking about what to say. His eyes had widened slightly as well.

"My guess is that she's in Moscow." He said after a few seconds.

"Moscow?" Ellie asked surprised.

"What is she doing in Moscow?" Chuck asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. While Devon seemed unsure what was going on.

"I take it you both still remember me talking about Hartley and the original intersect?"

Both siblings nodded, while Devon couldn't help but mutter the word intersect. His wife placed her soft hands on his lower arm, "Don't worry hon, I'll explain everything later."

Stephen looked between the two siblings for a moment, before giving a wry smile to his son. "His cover identity is Alexei Volkoff."

Just like his father had already expected Chuck was instantly hit by a flash, one of the, if not the longest he had. When the flash finally finished, he couldn't help but gasp, while his sister just looked at him worried, Devon looked as if he was watching one of his brother-in-law's weird movies, while his dad still had that wry smile on his face.

"Whoa." Chuck muttered after a moment.

"Chuck you okay?" Ellie asked, "Yeah bro, you really seemed out of it there." Devon chimed in. The concern in their voices matching.

"What? Oh yeah I'm fine, just a flash." Chuck stammered. "But this Volkoff character, wow." He breathed.

"So that was the intersect.." She said more to herself, than to him, but he still reacted anyway.

"Yeah." He said with a smile, "Just wait till you see the cool stuff." He stated enthusiastically.

"Charles." His dad said softly but still slightly commanding.

"Right, sorry." He replied sheepishly. "I can see why mom went after him. There was a lot about what he allegedly does, and things like Hydra, but the intersect mostly gave a lot of dead ends. Which makes sense considering the CIA would have taken him down if they could have cracked it."

"If the CIA knew, what we knew." Orion said ruefully.

"Then what dad?" Chuck questioned.

"The CIA would have killed Hartley if your mom would have kept them informed about what was going on. Volkoff's power is in the Hydra network, a network only he can access. If Volkoff wasn't actually an undercover agent, well let's just say your mother would have been home years ago."

"Then why wasn't she?" Ellie bit out angrily, her emotions about being abandoned finally showing again.

"Eleanor…" Orion started pleadingly, but Ellie interrupted him.

"No dad, it's been twenty years, twenty long years. Isn't it time to be realistic? Isn't it time to realise that your friends is gone. You should have told the CIA the truth, you should have both come home."

Devon looked into his wife a moment before speaking in a soft voice. "Babe.." He started pleading her to calm down, while she glared at her father. "Just try and calm down, just let him try to explain."

"Fine." She huffed, continuing to glare at her father. "You got five minutes."

Orion threw Devon a grateful look before speaking. "Look Eleanor, I know I screwed up, that we screwed up. We never planned for this to last twenty years, we just don't want to kill someone because of our mistakes."

"It was his choice dad."

He looked at her questioningly. "You said it was his choice, you said you didn't know dad. It wasn't your responsibility to fix it. It never was. Why can't you just admit that?" She asked her eyes now conveying more hurt and disappointment, which had replaced the anger from earlier.

Orion looked down "I'm sorry." He muttered.

Chuck looked over to his sister and could see that she was about to bolt. He wanted her to stay, he needed her to stay, so he quickly asked another question. Hoping it would be enough to keep his sister in the room.

"When was the last time you've even seen mom?"

He gave his son a guilty look before answering. "A few days before you called me."

"I can't believe this." Ellie muttered, while her brother just wanted to ask another question. Still before he could, she was already planning to walk out.

"I need some air." She choked out, before leaving the room, her husband storming after her, leaving the two spies in a thick silence.

"Dad, why didn't you tell us this at Ellie's wedding?" Chuck asked to break the silence.

"I was glad to have you both out of the spy game. To have both of my kids safe, I didn't need you to run after me and your mother like you did with Agent Walker."

Chuck nodded, contemplating what his father had said. He could understand most of what he had told them, though he could also understand where his sister was coming from.

"Why haven't you just removed the intersect?"

Stephen let out a weary sigh, "I didn't know how at the time. I mean even this program was planned to erase itself, the coding was spot on, yet it still failed. I only learned how to remove it, when you downloaded it, it was like that extra little push I needed. It was why I sent you the schematics in the first place, a part of me hoped you would find something I didn't. Of course, now we know how, but we don't have an intersect."

"Let me guess, you want to use their intersect to finally be done with this."

"Exactly Charles." The oldest Bartowski answered, while the youngest ran his hand through his unruly hair.

Chuck fell back into his chair, contemplating what his father had just told him, wondering what would have happened if he didn't need the Ring's intersect. Would he have made sure he would have never seen Sarah or Casey again? Or would he not stand in the way of whatever it was that they had? He knew his dad was capable of orchestrating a lot, what if he had been the driving force behind everything? One thing he knew for sure, he would have to talk to Sarah when she came back.

X-X-X-X-X

The Director hadn't been able to stop smirking ever since Agent Small had given him a call. Even after his previous meetings, which revealed they were still clueless about the intersect, he was more than pleased with himself, so he had just poured himself a glass of scotch to congratulate himself.

He hadn't been sure about this Agent Mitchell, and he still wasn't, that very fact was all the reason he needed to pair her up with Small in the first place. The guy wanted to progress, but had always found him in a sinking ship, on several occasions thanks to the intersect, but he had known the guy long enough to know he had enough skills. He just had to rub it in his face that he kept failing and that the elders weren't impressed, despite his best efforts to protect him, the agent had become like pudding in his hands.

That was exactly what he needed for this assignment. He needed someone he could trust unconditionally, one that he knew would report anything to him, and wouldn't try to get a benefit out of the situation other than a professional one. Other agents would have quickly tried to play this agent Mitchells, but if she was truly loyal, he didn't need such complications.

So far her performance had seemed a little erratic. Sure enough she had in fact killed Beckman, something he couldn't be more pleased with, it fit in perfectly with their plans. In fact the next few parts of that plan would just be so much more fun. Getting to a working intersect would just be a matter of time, not to mention that with their new resources they should make quick work of the intersect and his friends.

But despite that success, she hadn't seemed as convincing in their little talk before, and Small had told him he had gotten a certain vibe from her. Still a success was a success, and he definitely didn't feel like question that much. Even if she hadn't been turned yet, if they would just add enough pressure she would crack, there was no doubt in his mind about that.

He gulped down his drink, his face contorting a little at the feel of it going down his throat, when he heard his secretary over the internal line.

"You're next appointment are here sir." She stated in her sugary sweet voice.

"Very good, sent them in." He replied in his trademark British accent.

Moments later, the door opened and revealed the two figures he had been looking forward to see all morning. He gave them a small nod, as he kept his eyes trained on the brunette that was walking on the right side of her partner. But despite his best attempts he failed to make eye contact with her, as if she was hiding her true emotions. Though he realised that wasn't uncommon in this business, it once again caused him to question her. The rest of her appearance seemed normal, though he did wonder if she lost some of her confidence.

"Care for a drink?" He asked, after the two agents sat down in front of him.

Both remained silent, and just shook their heads. "Come on now, we have things to celebrate." He said in a chipper voice, meanwhile keeping his eyes on the female agent, trying to see signs of any reaction.

He noted she remained cool, and composed. He knew it was nearly impossible for her to really slip up in front of him, but he really had to try.

"Could we just get down to business?" She said coldly, and he felt as if the room temperature had dropped significantly.

"Sure." He smiled at her, "After your good job last night, I suppose you can demand we do that."

He took a moment to look between a new stack of manilla folders, and pulled one out that he had selected for the two people sitting across from him.

"First, I just want to offer my congratulations. You've done an outstanding job last night, we really appreciate good work."

"Thank you sir." They both chimed, both sounding cold and uncaring. It was something he loved to hear, he didn't need people, he needed tools.

He pushed two envelopes over towards them. "There is a little something for the both of you, just to show how much we appreciate what you do. Remember, it always pays to be successful."

Again they both sounded their appreciation, while they both pushed their reward into their pockets.

"Now you are both off for the rest of the day, tomorrow you will be starting on this." He said as he picked up the folder he had picked out for them, waving it a little in front of them.

Both agents in front of him looked between each other, and then back to him. "Understood." Small answered him.

"Now Agent Mitchells, if you'd excuse us for just a moment I need a moment to talk to your partner here."

She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity, and distrust, before racing to her feet. "As you wish sir." She simple stated as she moved to the door in a matter of seconds.

After she closed the door behind her with a soft thud, he looked back at the agent he had known for quite some time. "Listen Derek." He started, handing the folder to him but making sure to hold onto it. "You watch her, you got me? She doesn't leave your sight for a second. Follow her today, see what she's up to."

"So what, you hope that she's foolish enough to lead us to someone? That is if she's working with someone?"

"We can't risk this, I take it you know what to do?" He replied, looking into his eyes intently.

"You can count on me sir."

"For your sake Derek, I hope you're right." He stated softly, as he waved at him to leave, letting go of the folder as he did so.

Small looked at him pensively for a moment, before turning towards the door. When he reached it he stilled with his hand on the knob. "What do I do if I find that she has been double crossing us?"

"Oh don't worry agent Small, I got that covered." The director replied with an evil grin, that could even make the most seasoned agents spine shiver.

X-X-X-X-X

Sarah and Casey were driving through the country side, they had only arrived back on the west coast a little while earlier. Now all that she really wanted was to get back to the safehouse and feel Chuck's loving arms around her.

A part of her still hated the fact that she needed him so much, that somehow without him there was so little in life that made sense, that she was unable to function properly without him. Despite that they still had some issues to sort through, and they were taking things slow, she had already grown completely dependant on him again. She wasn't sure how she had ever functioned without him. And the night before had been no different.

She really had needed him near her to get to sleep. Text messages were great and all, and she really needed to at least let him know she was allright, but there was nothing that could replace him next to her at night. That was something that still stood out in her mind, needless to say she hadn't slept much. She looked tired because of it, tired enough for Casey to tell her she looked like ass. Which was coincidentally the way she felt as well. She just couldn't wait to hold him again, to breathe in his scent. The thoughts were enough to make her groan, she really hated feeling like this, but she knew that fighting it was hopeless, not that she wanted it too anyway.

For a moment she looked over to the dashboard, before returning her focus outside. She knew her partner was driving as fast as he was allowed to go, but she couldn't help but think she should have driven herself.

"Can't you go any faster?" She bit at him.

Casey looked over at her, "Desperate for some peanut butter huh?" He smirked.

She glared at him, "Just drive Casey."

They returned to silence for a few minutes, her thoughts still at Chuck, while he just had his stoic look over him.

"So you tell the moron what happened yet?"

Again she glared at him, she always hated it when Casey belittled Chuck, especially considering Chuck's self esteem. "For crying out loud Casey, could you stop with calling him a moron all the time? In case you haven't noticed, neither of us would have survived these last three years without him, you might want to consider that for a change." She exclaimed annoyed.

He glanced over at her pensively for a moment, "Come on Walker, you know how this works. It's not meant as a sign of disrespect." He said defensively.

"Well then how is it meant? Sure doesn't sound respectful to me."

Again he took a moment before answering her. "Judging by your mood, I take it you haven't told him anything yet."

She looked at him surprised, "No I haven't." _and I'm not sure how to_ she added silently to herself. She knew that Chuck never really liked Beckman, but she also knew that he had always been troubled by this side of the job. She wasn't sure how he would be able to take the news after everything that had happened between them.

"Look Walker, Chuck's a big boy. He's a lot more resilient than you give him credit for."

She sighed. "I know John, I just feel like I need to protect him." _And I don't know how to, not from this, _she again added silently.

He just gave a small grunt in response, and once again returned his focus to the road. The silence once again causing her mind to wander.

It took them about a half an hour longer to get to the safehouse, both agents remained silent for the rest of the trip. Though she had started fidgeting a little, as she waited to arrive, and she had to restrain herself from telling Casey to hurry up again. She realised that perhaps she hadn't been fair on him before, but there really was no reason to drive so slow here.

Finally they arrived and she could already see Chuck standing there waiting for her with his trademark Bartowski grin, and she could see the same relief that she felt wash over his face. She quickly got out of the car, and practically hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I missed you." She muttered in his neck, as they hugged each other tightly.

"I missed you too." He muttered back, holding her tightly.

A few moments later they pulled back from each other, and concern flashed over his face.

"Sarah…" he started his voice laced with concern, "What happened?"

"Chuck.." She started, now it was her time to pause not being sure if she should tell him right away, but she knew she had no choice. "Beckman's dead Chuck, it looks like Kayla killed her."

She could see shock take over Chuck's body, as she once again pulled him closer.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chuck vs The Rome Assignment Chapter 14**

The near empty room was being filled only with the uncontrolled sobs of a young brunette. Kayla had quickly left the ring HQ and made her way to this small safehouse, her own safehouse this time. She had no interest in seeing Morgan, or anyone else for that matter. And she knew this was her chance to be alone, this was her chance to just see if she could find herself.

Though if she were honest she'd much rather fall back into a safety net, preferably her brother who had helped her out so much back after her first red test, but as her mind drifted back to those days, she wasn't sure if even he would be able to help her out on this one.

_A scared fragile young woman shakily walked through the dark deserted street of an every day American suburb. She was certain that for the rest of the world she would seem like any ordinary young girl, but she knew she was different, she knew they had finally broken her into a million small pieces. There had even been a small part of her that had even considered ending it all. _

_Finally reaching her pre-determined destination, she shakily held out her hand, stopping it right before it touched the hard wooden door. A thought flashing through her mind that her brother, the only one she had ever confided in, the only one that knew what she would be doing for a living, would think of her after this. That perhaps he would think of her as a monster, that he wouldn't want her to be anywhere near his family. But before any thoughts could form, she could hear the muffled sounds of approaching feet, just before the door swung open, and two strong arms enveloped her in a hug. _

_Before she even knew what was happening she was sobbing uncontrollably into the chest of the man that was holding her. She knew he had always looked out for her, and she was so relieved that she could still depend on him like that. _

_They stood there for minutes, her sobbing loudly into his chest, while he just ran his hand over her lower back in a soothing manner. Trying to use his touch to calm her down, which didn't seem to have much effect, still her just kept on and held her._

_Finally she calmed down just a little, silent tears still falling from her face, but her body not heaving heavily with sobs anymore. Her brother pulled back slightly, and gave her a look that was a mixture of love and concern, before speaking softly. "Come on, let's get you inside." He said, while slowly pulling her into the house. _

He had spent several weeks just taking care of her, and had even taken some time off from work just to tend to her. She could never thank him enough for that which he had done, and she had believed her wounds had healed, and just left a few scars, but now she had done something even worse. She doubted if even he could forgive her for that.

She buried her face even deeper into her pillow, and was so caught up in herself that she didn't hear the door creaking open, and being shut again. The figure approached her while she kept her head dug into the pillow, still being oblivious to the presence in the room.

It didn't take the figure long to reach her. The man carefully reached forward, and softly placed his warm hand on her slumped shoulders. Before the man knew what was happening, she had reacted, flipped around, clutched his collar in her hand, and pressed the sharp edge of a knife on his throat, startling the man who tried to flinch back as he yelped in fear, but her firm grip kept him in place.

"What are you doing?" He cried out.

She momentarily ignored him, as she felt her intense grief over her actions disappear, and being replaced by a level of anger that she had never felt before. He had been partially responsible of the mess that had been created. Her eyes narrowed in anger, before she spoke in a dark low tone.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here." She spoke.

"What… what are you talking about?" He choked out.

"Where were they Morgan?" She asked him darkly, pushing the knife a little harder against his flesh, causing him to flinch a little. "You were supposed to make sure they were there."

"I… called them." He choked out again.

She rose from the bed in anger, keeping her arms in place, and started pushing him towards the wall. "Then where were they Morgan? Care to explain me where they were?"

"I don't know." He said remorsefully.

"You don't know?" She repeated in disbelief, "Surely you don't expect me to believe that?" She said in disbelief.

"Here's what I think Morgan." She continued. "I think you and Chuck left me high and dry."

"No, it isn't like that." He stated exasperatedly.

"Then how is it Morgan? Because I'm quite certain this counts as a betrayal wouldn't you say?"

"I don't know." He stated, "I'm sure it wasn't like that, something must have gone wrong."

She took a moment pondering the thought, but she couldn't imagine it.

"They're supposed to be the best Morgan." She growled.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I don't know what happened but I'm sorry." He stated sincerely.

She searched his eyes, trying to find the truth in them. When she saw no indication that he was lying, she slowly pulled the knife from his throat, and released her grip around his collar, causing him to let out a breath of relief. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him before he even got going.

"Get out." She growled at him.

"What, why?" He questioned.

"Just get the hell out Morgan, and do yourself a favour, don't come back." She bit at him, turning her back towards him.

She could sense him shifting on his feet, not sure what to do, but after a few seconds, he turned on his heels, and went for the door. Seconds later, she heard the door open, and close, and let herself crash back unto the bed, crying and feeling utterly alone.

X-X-X-X-X

They were silently sitting at what had become their spot, her arm was around his lower back, while his arm was flung around her shoulder, while her head rested on his shoulder. The small lake near the cabin had been the place of what had perhaps been their single most important conversation of their lives, there was no doubt that it held dear memories and high value for the both of them. It was the reason she was determined to come back there with him after this was all over. If they would get the chance this was where she wanted to grow old with him.

She looked up to his worried face, his features were tense, it was exactly what she had feared for. He hadn't said much, in fact he had just been shocked, and he had withdrawn again. It felt like he was slipping away again, like she was losing him all over, and her heart broke at the thought. Taking him here was a gamble, she hoped it would pay off, despite the tenseness that was radiating off him.

"Can you talk to me, Chuck?" She pleaded to him softly, but instead of speaking he just looked at her with a pained expression in his eyes which cut through her, before his stare returned to the water.

She let out a small sigh, she was glad he hadn't sent her away, but she hated when this happened. They didn't have time for this, even if she wanted him to have the time, they needed to start to making moves towards destroying the Ring, because this was going south a lot faster than they had wanted. Every second Chuck wasn't ready, was a second wasted. Still she was torn between being the girlfriend and being his handler, for now she had chosen to be the first.

So she held onto him quietly, joining him in staring out on the small lake, slowly running her hand down his lower back. They sat there for at least a half an hour in complete silence before she decided she needed to try again. She just wanted to help him through it, her Chuck was a person that needed to talk about things, and even if she wasn't good at it, she would help him do just that.

"Please talk to me Chuck." She pleaded again, her voice barely above a whisper.

Again he looked at her with a pained expression, and she could see the whirlwind of emotion in his eyes. She sensed that he wanted to talk, but wasn't sure how to, for once it seemed like they had shifted roles.

"I really need you to talk to me Chuck. I just want to help you through this." She stated, her free hand running down his face softly, while he leaned into the touch slightly, his eyes closed revelling in the warmth and softness of her touch.

He swallowed hard, and opened his eyes which quickly met her pleading ones that were filled with worry.

He ran his hand through his unruly curls, before speaking with a cracking voice, "I just don't know what to do anymore." He started, and she could feel her heart breaking for what felt like the millionth time that day.

In stead of speaking she kept looking at him, trying to urge him to speak with her eyes.

Diverting his eyes away from her and focusing them back on the glistening water, he continued. "It just.." He started before swallowing hard again, the lump in his throat threatening to overcome him, "It's just, no matter what I do, what we do, we can't stop this from happening, I feel like I keep failing them, like it's my fault they got hurt."

She placed her hands on his face, and forced him to look at her. "You listen to me Charles Irving Bartowski," She started in a firm voice. "None of this is your fault, things would have been a lot worse without you."

He gave her a wry smile, "Yes it is." He stated dejectedly. "I should have seen the things with Shaw coming, I should have done more to help Manoosh, and I definitely should have been there for Kayla. God Sarah, do you even know what she's going through right now? This isn't just about Beckman, this is about how Kayla must be feeling." He finished, a small tear creeping down his cheek, which was taken care off by her soft thumb.

She wasn't proud of it, but she felt a small pang of jealousy in her chest at his deep concern for the brunette agent, which was mixed and ultimately buried under the deep concern, pain and guilt she felt for what he was going through.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for those things." She said firmly, trying to force her point across. "No one expected this from Shaw, no one, if anyone should have caught it, it should have been me." She continued, her voice now lower and with an edge of guilt to the situation she helped create. "As for Manoosh, you didn't have a choice Chuck. I should have helped you through that, I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me so much, but please don't blame yourself." She pleaded, a small tear now escaping her own eye, and she took a moment to compose herself.

Feeling a little more composed she continued. "Kayla knew the risks Chuck, I know it's hard, and it must be so much harder for her, but you can't take the blame for something out of your control. The Ring would have found a way to break her, that's what they do. All the hope we had was that we could end this before they could."

A few more silent tears had found a way down his cheeks while she spoke, while his pained eyes kept their focus on her. She felt like she hadn't done enough, like she needed to do more to drive home what she was saying.

"This is why I hate that you are in this world Chuck. There's so much you need to learn to survive in it, things you can only learn through heartbreak and pain and loss, so much that doesn't go with the amazing man you are. That's why you're not a spy Chuck, you are so much better than any of us."

Their eyes once again connected, and she could see the pain being joined by an intense love, the same kind of love she hoped her own eyes were conveying to his.

"So are you." He stated in a soft but strong voice.

She could feel her heart swell with love, and in an immediate response she brought her hands to his face and cupped it, and started closing the gap between them, before softly pressing her own lips against his. Slowly they deepened the kiss, as they started to lose themselves in each other, their lips working together vigorously while the worries of the world slipped away from their minds.

X-X-X-X-X

A black sedan was driving around the streets of a small suburb just outside Washington DC, the sun had already set, and the partially clouded sky accompanied the dark mood of the driver in good fashion. He needed to find her, and he needed to do it fast. There was no way he was going to do what he did to Beckman and then let Mitchell slip through his fingers.

Once again he picked up his phone, dialled her number, and listened to the phone trying to create a connection with the other person. Again there was no answer, so in a frustrated sigh he hurled the phone back onto the chair next to him, and returned to his previous activity, knowing full well that he wasn't going to find her this way.

This was exactly what he had been scared off, when he had been given the orders to make sure she took care of Beckman. In fact, the part of him mutilating the General was just something to add to the total sum of him trying to break her. He just wanted to be successful, one corpse more or less, wouldn't make a difference for him. He had been a killer since he was sixteen when his father had forced him into murdering someone, now a days he was completely numb, back then it had been a difficult thing to do.

Of course after the CIA had taken down his father, they had tried to recruit him. Graham had instantly seen the benefit of a trained killer in his ranks, but there was little that the CIA could offer him other than the training he needed to become the best. Sure he wasn't the best, he never became better because he had never allowed himself to listen to his instructors, he had seen them as inferior, as righteous idiots, people that were not worthy of his time.

Despite that The Ring had expressed a deep interest in them, and had offered him a better package than Graham ever could, though if he were honest he wasn't sure if he would make the same choice again if he could. The screams of the brunette fulcrum agent rang through his mind once again, weirdly that was the first thing in a long time that affected him, and it was the last thing as far as he was concerned. He had only upped his cruelty since that day.

He passed a few traffic lights, and then turned into a small street which her file suggested she had frequented a few times after her red test. It was the best bet he had, that she would turn up in this immediate area. So he quietly parked his car, and sat in silence, thinking that he couldn't lose her. He had to keep hold of her, and make sure she would stay in The Ring, her information could be valuable, and her cooperation was what was keeping him alive.

Picking up the phone again he went through the same routine, and again she didn't answer. This time in stead of throwing his phone away in frustration, he opened his glove compartment, and took out the metal object that was placed inside. There was no way he was going to push this past the current night.

He quickly exited the car, and placed the small firearm at the small of his back, covering it up with his shirt. With an air of confidence around him he made his way to the house, and as soon as he reached the door he knocked on the door.

Only moments later a man appeared in the doorway, the brown hair, and soft brown eyes clearly similar to those of the woman he was looking for.

"Can I help you?" The man asked in wonder, and the tension in his voice was clearly audible.

Small gave him a tight lipped smile. "Yes, I'm looking for a Kayla Mitchell, she said I could meet her here."

The other man flinched a little at the mention of the name, before he composed himself again. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea who you are talking about." He replied in a slightly shaky voice.

Small shook his head slightly, his hand moving a little towards his back. "Not as sorry as I am."

X-X-X-X-X

Ellie was full of worry as she sat on the sofa, the pages of the book in front of her had been left unturned for at least an hour. Ever since Sarah and Casey had come back, she wasn't sure what was going on. Her brother had been extremely tense, and the pain was radiating off him. She had been adamant to take care of him, but Sarah had whisked him away somewhere, she wasn't even sure where before she could. Even when the two of them came back, she hadn't had the chance. Her brother looked tired, but slightly better than he had before, and the look Sarah had sent her had been enough to keep her away.

A small part of her had been happy about it, that perhaps Sarah truly was the woman she had always thought she was, but the rest of her was just worried. As much as it pained her to say it she still didn't trust the blonde agent. She wanted to, her brother had been so firm and strong in his defence of the woman he clearly loved so much. But that didn't mean she believed him, he had loved Jill as well, just like they had both loved their parents. In a live of a Bartowski it was likely that someone you love would ultimately betray you.

She heard a door open and close, and only a few seconds later the blonde manes of the woman she once thought she knew appeared in the doorway towards the small living room area.

"How is he?" The brunette questioned softly, her eyes fixated on the newly arrived figure.

Sarah let out a weary sigh, while she ran her hand through her hair. "He's going to be ok I think. He just needs some time to come to terms with everything that has happened."

Ellie nodded her head, "Maybe I should go check on him." Ellie stated more to herself than to the other person present in the room.

Just as she was about to hoist herself to her feet, the blonde spoke up. "No don't." She rushed out, causing Ellie to look at her questioningly. "It's just that he's had a long and rough day, he just fell asleep."

Ellie allowed herself to fall back in the sofa, and again nodded her head. "Right." She muttered.

"What's going on with him anyway?" She questioned with concern.

Sarah looked at her with surprise. "Your dad didn't tell you?" She asked in wonder.

"Umm… Dad and I… We aren't exactly talking at the moment." She replied slightly hesitantly, her eyes now diverted to the floor.

She could feel the questioning gaze of the blonde on her, just as she was about to explain further however the blonde changed the topic back to the thing they had in common the most.

"Look Ellie, Chuck is blaming himself for a lot at the moment. Kayla just killed our former boss, and you know how he is, he thinks it's all his fault." Sarah said quietly.

She could feel the pain surging through her, she did not like the sound of this. Her little brother and his ridiculous sense of responsibility over everything. It was the same thing that had gotten him in this mess in the first place.

"That's ridiculous." She exclaimed.

Sarah sat herself down next to her, "I know." She said wearily, "I think I got through to him in the end."

"And if you didn't?" Ellie asked as she looked at the blue eyed woman, who just looked back questioningly.

"I know you care about him Sarah, I'm willing to believe that, but he needs you right now. No matter what happens, he needs you to be the woman he loves, he needs you to stick around, and not hurt him." She stated in a soft voice.

"I am not going anywhere." The blonde replied in determination.

"Aren't you?" Ellie questioned sceptically, "Isn't that why you are still alive? Because you never stick around somewhere, isn't that what a spy does, never form attachments? I'm not trying to judge you Sarah, but I need to look after my little brother, and he needs to be sure you're here, and that means I need to be sure you're here for the long haul."

Sarah took a deep breath, before replying. "If this would have happened before I met Chuck, I would have saved my own skin long ago, but Chuck changed me Ellie. I can't explain it, but you should know, I could have left before, when it would have been a lot easier to do so." Ellie felt surprised at her words, Chuck had left those little details out of his synopsis of the last few years.

"But I always stayed, him breaking my heart not withstanding. I'm still here for a reason Ellie, I love him, I've always loved him."

Ellie wasn't sure what to say, she wanted so desperately to believe the woman sitting next to her, but after everything that had happened she had a hard time trusting anyone. It seemed as Sarah felt the trepidations in the older Bartowski sibling.

"I know you don't trust me, and that's okay, I know you want to protect Chuck, but so do I. Just trust in him, he knows me better than anyone, he's the only one that has ever known me." She spoke while she rose to her feet.

For a moment it seemed as if Ellie wasn't going to speak as the blonde moved towards the exit of the room, but just as she was about to move into the hallway, a voice called out after her. "If you hurt him, spy or not, I'll kill you." Ellie stated threateningly, and with a voice that left no question if there was truth in it. She just hoped it would be enough, that her brother for once would find some happiness.

X-X-X-X-X

She hadn't been able to stop crying since Morgan had left the room, her body was still heaving and in the same position, her eyes were sore, and she was sure they were even redder than fine wines like the peppery pinot, with the stork on the cork. In fact she was feeling so miserable that she didn't even bother to check her phone, no matter that it had gone off several times in the last few hours, she didn't care, she just wanted to be alone, she needed to be alone.

The words of the farm rang through her mind on several occasions through her career, often they had saved her life, and just as often they had saved the lives of innocents and her partners, but tonight she was feeling tormented, and the only words that kept coming back were, _"When you leave this place, you will have no emotion, you will feel no pain, no attachments, you will be able to kill without remorse."_

It were words that never seemed to hold any truth to her, not even in stone cold killers like John Casey, but she was scared that one day they would be true, and that people would talk about her in a similar manner. She felt herself slipping away slowly, as if her torn soul was trying to handle things by making itself numb. It only added to her fears. Nothing would ever be worth losing herself over. She should have just done something else, she just wasn't sure what she could have done. Not that it mattered anyway.

For what felt like the millionth time her thoughts and sobs were interrupted by the loud ringing of her phone. And not for the first time the question rose in her head, why she even had it turned on. There wasn't anyone she wanted to talk to anyway.

Groaning in frustration when the darned phone started to ring again after only a few seconds of silence, she lifted herself up just the tiniest bit, so she could see who was calling. She let out another groan when she saw that it was the director, and for a moment she contemplated picking up. There was no way she would be able to talk to him like this.

The next half hour the ritual continued, only from time to time she noticed it was her 'partner' that called, and there were even a few calls from her old team. Finally when the director seemed to call for the millionth time, she couldn't hold out anymore. She would either pick up now, or hurl the darned phone towards the concrete, and consider making her break away from this place. Perhaps there was the chance that she would be able to disappear. Though she could feel in her gut that they would probably hunt her down, not to mention the CIA that would be coming after her now.

Taking a final moment to compose herself just enough to get her through another painful conversation with one of the most sinister man she had ever met, she placed her thumb on the accept call button. Slowly she started pressing down, and made a connection.

"Finally Mitchell, what the hell were you doing not answering your phone?" The man said in sheer annoyance, and Kayla couldn't help but smirk a little at his annoyed response.

"I'm sorry sir, but I muted it when I went to bed." She feigned innocence.

"Damn it Mitchell, I told you to keep your phone turned on." He growled at her. "No matter, I need you to come in immediately, this is important."

She felt a moment of worry, and wondered what they wanted her to do now. Perhaps she could take out the director and get things over with? "Certainly sir, I'll be there as soon as possible." She replied as coolly as she could possibly muster, while her mind was only fixated on the gun that was currently sitting on her dresser.

X-X-X-X-X

His eyes slowly fluttered open, he wasn't sure what time it was, but when he looked out of the small crack between the curtains it was clear that it was still dark outside. And judging by the blonde mop of hair that was currently strewn across his chest, the weight of it's owners head comfortably and soothingly pushing down on it, he knew it had to be night time. She was never the one to go to sleep during the day time. The few times he had done it himself, she had chided him for it.

He stifled a yawn, not wanting to wake up the precious blonde that was looking so comfortable and peaceful right now, as his mind was trying to make sense of what had happened. At least he had been allowed a night sleep without too many nightmares, luckily this latest bit of news hadn't made that part worse. He didn't even want to think about Kayla though, how she was feeling right now.

In the short time he had known the brunette she had made an impression on him. Not like Sarah had, but in the way for example Devon did. She was kind, but still a strong young woman, though sometimes the hurt emanated from her. He was certain that she was breaking right now, and in his own weakness he hadn't even checked on her, or called Morgan to see how things were going. It were moments like that that he hated himself for his weakness. He was supposed to be her team leader, he was supposed to protect them from things like this, but as usual he had failed.

He felt the big love of his life stir a little, and he wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, wanting to feel the comfort of the warmth of her body against his. Wanting to use her steady breathing and heartbeat to calm his own. Still despite her calming touch, he felt nothing but worry and guilt, something he was sure she would admonish him for, but he couldn't help it.

Not being able to resist, he let out a sigh which was a lot louder than he had intended it to be. This time the blonde did wake up, though it only seemed to be a little, as she spoke up groggily.

"Stop blaming yourself Chuck." She said, and despite the fact that she was clearly tired, there seemed to be a finality to her voice.

He looked down at her again, and ran his hand through her long blonde hair, revelling in the soft silky feel of it, before he spoke. "I'm sorry, I just…" He trailed, knowing that she understood him anyway.

She picked up her head from his chest just enough to have her cobalt blue eyes, meet his brown ones, causing instant sparks to run through his body despite the way he was feeling.

"I know you do." She said softly, "It's one of the reasons why I love you so darn much. But it hurts me so much to see you like this, to feel you so tense like this."

He threw his head back, and closed his eyes. If there was one thing he hated in this world, it was hurting this woman, he had done it too many times already.

"I don't know how to handle this Sarah." He said in a weary voice. "I don't know how you can cope with all this going on in your life."

She lifted herself from the bed, and he expected her to rant at him in frustration of his stubbornness, but instead when he looked up he saw her holding out her hand. "Come with me." She said quietly.

He hesitated for a second, not being sure, but ultimately he couldn't leave her hanging, so he placed his hand in hers, and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

In silence he followed her through the small building, till they reached the door of one of the other bedrooms. Before he could ask what was going on, Sarah slowly opened the door, revealing his sister and her husband sleeping peacefully in a loving embrace.

"What do you think would have happened to them without you Chuck?" She asked in a whisper.

He stayed silent for a second, before whispering back. "They were only in danger because of me."

She fervently shook her head, "That's not true," She started as she slowly closed the door again. "remember Chuck, you're not the only child of Orion, they would have come after Ellie at one point or another. Besides if Ellie hadn't taken care of you when your parents left, she wouldn't even have met Devon. Oh and did I mention that without you she wouldn't have had her dad walk her down the aisle, that's every girls dream Chuck."

Instead of answering what she had said about Ellie and Devon he smiled at her. "Even yours?"

She looked at him with a slight hint of panic in her eyes, before she composed herself. "That's not the point Chuck." She said, trying to keep her voice low.

"I know." He said solemnly. "And you're right, but just because she met Devon earlier, doesn't mean she hadn't met him otherwise, or that dad wouldn't have protected her."

Without saying another word she pulled him along further, moving to another door, when she opened it, this one revealed the form of a sleeping Casey.

"Come on Sarah, Casey would have been just fine without me. Don't forget that he was just about to go for pancakes when we met." He whispered.

"You don't understand Chuck, Casey was an emotionless robot before he met you. Now he's a real person."

He slowly nodded his head, despite her words and despite what other people had told him he was never so sure that he had any positive influence on any people, especially not after everything that had happened.

"I know it's hard for you to believe this right now, but you've helped so many people Chuck. Me, Casey, Ellie, Morgan, your dad, and all those people that will never know." She told him in a voice mixed with love and gratitude, while she slowly ran a hand down his face.

His eyes locked with hers for a second, and he could feel his heart swell from the love and pride he saw in them, feeling overcome with the emotions he started closing the gap between them, muttering three simple words as he did so. "I love you." He said when he was almost touching her lips, and before she could react his lips came crashing unto hers.

They were only a short moment in their kiss, when they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat, pulling back like a couple of teenagers, both feeling their faces turn red, they were greeted by the oldest Bartowski of the bunch.

"I'm sorry to… umm… interrupt whatever you were doing, but we've got to get out of this place."

The young couple looked at each other in concern, before looking back at the seasoned agent.

X-X-X-X-X

She was walking through the long corridors of the ring facilities. To her own disgust she already knew how to get there, and how to get to the Director. She hated this place, and she hated the few agents she ran into. All had a blank look on their face, except for the two or three who looked at her with a scowl. She figured that perhaps they were people she had met in her previous life, a life that she knew how to handle and control.

She turned the last corner before she reached the office she needed to go, and checked for a final time if the cold metal was still in place. Her hand went to her waistband, and she was comforted by the presence of the cold metal.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, she prolonged her steps, making sure to cover as much distance as possible in as little as time as possible. Before she knew what was happening, she was standing in the office, her hand had gone to her back, and had firmly gripped her weapon. She looked up and saw an amused smirk on the director's face, while he held out his hand to keep Small in place.

In a short moment she had pulled out the gun and aimed it at the director, who just smirked at her, before he spoke in his slick voice.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea Agent Mitchell."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chuck vs The Rome Assignment Chapter 15**

Her breathing was hard and ragged, the tension was flowing through her while her hand was shaking ever so slightly, her hand clutched around the cold metal, her finger putting just the slightest bit of pressure on the trigger. The smirk on the man's face only made her blood boil more, she could feel anger and hatred rush through her. Almost as if he was somewhere a far in the distance she heard his slick voice that made her want to hurl.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea Agent Mitchell." The Director spoke coolly.

She felt her finger put just a little more pressure on the trigger, as she took one more step towards the wooden desk, bringing her within a few feet of two of the most disgusting men the World possessed in her mind.

'Oh." She bit out, her eyes narrowing further, "And why is that?"

"Because I can offer you something you want, at least you will in a few seconds." He said, his voice growing more professional as he spoke.

She eyed him cautiously, not sure what to think of what he was saying. She couldn't imagine that he had something to offer to her, not after everything that had happened. But what if there was something? She wondered to herself.

"You have nothing of interest to me, Director." She said dismissively.

He shook his head while almost looking amused at the situation. He flipped open the folder that was on his desk, and slipped through a few pages, while she kept questioning herself if she should make a move or not.

"There is information in this file that can prove your wrong. Either you put down your… gun, and sit down, or you shoot me before our friend Derek here will proceed to shoot you. In which case all of use lose." He replied calmly.

Once again she felt torn between her hatred for these men, and the desire to know what was going on. Her eyes darted between her weapon, the file on the desk, and the two men. Despite feeling incredibly torn up about what was going on, she lowered her weapon, and to her own surprise the man behind the desk let a little air escape from his lungs.

"A wise choice Mitchell, a wise choice indeed." He mused, as the young woman lowered herself onto the wooden chair in front of the desk.

X-X-X-X-X

His heart hadn't stopped racing since his dad had interrupted him and his girlfriend making out. The words his father had spoken were still echoing through his mind, that was the last thing he had heard from the older man, in fact no one had seen him since he had made sure that everyone of the team would be at the dining/conference table.

The anxious uncomfortable feeling in his stomach had only grown, the normally calming touch of the luscious blonde next to him, who was running her thumb over the back of his hand notwithstanding. The only seeming solace he had, was the fact that he didn't appear to be the only one that was feeling slightly tense. He could see the same kind of tension in the eyes of his two partners, though they were seemingly less affected that him. His sister and husband just looked confused as to what was going on.

His eyes locked for a moment with his sisters, and he felt the typical urge to reassure her.

"It's going to be okay El." He tried to state in a confident way.

She looked at him skeptically, before she spoke. "How do you know Chuck?" She asked in a tone that matched her face.

Devon placed on of his strong hands on his wife's shoulders. "Babe, relax. Let the pro's handle this."

She shot her husband an incredulous look. "Don't relax babe me." She bit at him. "My dad wakes us up in the middle of the night, and tells us we probably have to move, and you want me to relax?" She continued her voice climbing as she did so. "I just want answers." She finished, her glare moving away from her husband, and was now aimed at her little brother.

Chuck rose his hand in surrender. "I don't know anything more than you do sis." He said defensively.

Before he could even lower his hands Ellie's glare moved between the other two spies at the table. "What about you two?" She asked in annoyance.

Casey just let out an annoyed grunt, and kept his arms folded, a scowl on his face, while Sarah was slightly more verbal. "Sorry Ellie." She said apologetically as she shook her head.

"Well then where is dad?" Ellie asked now in a much softer tone.

Chuck couldn't help but be slightly amused by his sister, though he did fully understand the reaction she had.

"I don't know sis." He said earnestly, "But I'd like to know."

The two siblings looked at each other, while Sarah's thumb still drew circles on his hand. And in that moment, when he felt the loving touch of her, and he observed the state of his sister and her husband, he just wished things were different. He talked for years about wanting to be normal again, and now he craved it more than ever. He just wanted his sister to have the things she always dreamed of, and no matter the costs he would make sure of it that she would.

He was about to speak, when the voice of his father combined with his footsteps cut him off. "Here's our problem." He said, throwing a picture on the table as he walked past.

X-X-X-X-X

She could feel the knots forming in her stomach while she sat across from the man she loathed so much. She wasn't even sure why she sat down in the first place, but he had seemed more convincing than she cared to admit. Somehow she wasn't able to resist her curiosity. Now she just wished for all their sakes that this was worth it, no matter what she would walk out of this office having dealt with something.

The Director looked up from the file with a gleam in his eyes, one that made her skin crawl. A soft smile graced his lips, as he flipped the folder around and started pushing it over to her. As the manila folder started moving to her side, she could feel her heart pounding out of her chest, a weight being pressed onto it, and she could feel a little anxiety sweat break out of her skin.

It seemed to her like a lifetime passed while the folder was being pushed her way, though it was in less than a second that she was looking at the kind of order that she had gotten so accustomed to, only this one broke the last few pieces of her heart that had been left intact. She felt like she was suffocating.

"What… what is this? Some kind of sick joke?" She choked out.

The smile on the directors face widened just a little. "I'm afraid not, it seems as if the CIA have put out a sanction on him. Now if you want we could help you, both of you." He stated in his typical slick voice.

She looked at him, barely able to hold it together as she did so. "What do you want?" She nearly whispered.

Now the smile on the directors face grew to it's maximum size, stretching ear to ear. "We want what we always wanted." He started, as he leaned forward towards her, making sure to stare her dead in the eye as he did so. "We want the Human intersect. Bring us Bartowski, and we'll make sure he stays alive."

Her mind drifted back to her brother, but it also drifted back to what Chuck had told her about what had happened with Shaw. What if this was a similar thing? What if somehow they had orchestrated all of this. Feeling slightly more energetic she took a moment to try and get some more resolve in her voice, before she started speaking.

"And how do I know you're not behind all of this? Or that my brother is alive? And what happens to him in the mean time?" She fired at him in rapid succession.

"All you have is my word Mitchell. I guarantee you, your brother is safe somewhere." He said as she tried to search his demeanor for any sign of dishonesty, but there was no sign of any emotion in his being.

"Then let me see him." She replied "Just I need to know." She said desperately.

"You know we can't do that. But help us to bring in the intersect and we'll give you two a new life somewhere, anywhere you want."

She eyed him cautiously, not sure what to say. She realized her brother could well be dead, or that he was caught somewhere by The Ring as a bargaining chip, but if she didn't go along with this, then what? The Ring would kill him right away, and the CIA if this was true wouldn't shy away either. The real question for her was, is he worth more than the sake of the nation? After everything she had given up for the nation, her answer was simple.

"Where do you want to start?"

X-X-X-X-X

Chuck glimpsed to his side, only to see a picture being thrown unto the table. Before he knew what was happening the picture had slid into place right in front of him. He looked down, and felt a familiar sensation come over him, and in a blink of an eye images were flashing before his eyes, his eyes fluttering as the rest of the people in the room looked at him. Sarah and Casey just looked at him waiting for the information that would surely follow, Ellie looked at him with almost motherly concern, and Devon didn't know if it was awesome or the weirdest thing ever.

Seconds later the flash ended, and the group looked at him expectantly, before he ultimately spoke. "Oh boy." He said exasperatedly.

"Out with it Bartowski." Casey grunted, clearly done with waiting.

Chuck looked up to the burly man, and then looked back to his father. "This guy… This is one of the elders."

He felt Sarah's hold on his hand tighten a little, while Casey let out a small grunt. He could feel Sarah tense a little, and he figured she must feel the same thing coming from him. The uneasiness in the pit of his stomach was only growing.

"Elders?" Ellie questioned, but Chuck ignored her, and instead focused his attention and his questions on his father.

"Where did you get this dad? Why is this a problem?" He questioned, panic seeping through in his voice.

"Charles, he's Beckman's replacement." Orion replied ruefully.

Chuck looked at Sarah in shock, and was met with widened eyes. He couldn't believe this was happening, this meant that if they didn't do something fast, that not only would The Ring control the CIA, but there would be nowhere they could go. The fear that every dream they had ever had would disappear only grew.

"Please tell me you have a plan." He nearly begged his father, his desperate eyes meeting his.

"We're going on the offensive. There are two things they want, you and a working intersect. We're going to make sure they won't get either." Orion stated determinedly.

"Could someone please explain to me what's going on?" Ellie broke into the conversation again.

Stephen looked at his daughter with soft eyes, taking a moment to look at her before speaking. "You and Devon are leaving, I have two new identities for the both of you, and I have a plan for you to start a live. When we're done, we'll find you." He told her in a soft voice.

Ellie opened her mouth to speak, but her father interrupted her. "This is not open for discussion Eleanor. This situation with you in danger has carried on long enough. If I could I'd sent your brother away as well." He started, taking a moment as he ran his hand through his hair before continuing. "I don't deserve to ask you anything, but just do this for me. Just make sure you are safe." He pleaded with her.

She looked to her father, and then to her brother, and she could feel the weight of the moment. She was torn between her obligations to her family, and what she knew was the right thing.

"Fine." She ultimately huffed.

Orion turned back to his son, and handed one file to him. "You and agent Walker will go there, then me and the Major will take care of things somewhere else." He basically ordered.

Chuck opened the folder, and felt the same terror he usually felt when he was overwhelmed by a mission. He looked to the blonde that was still clutching his hand, and then to his family, and all he hoped was that they would meet again. That their love would really get them through.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chuck vs The Rome Assignment Chapter 16**

He hadn't imagined he would leave and return to this country so soon. Not to mention that he would have her by his side when he did. But he was there, just outside some abandoned apartment building, where they were sitting in an old van, the only car they were able to rent on such short notice that wasn't a convertible.

He was extremely grateful that she was there, he wasn't sure how he would have been able to still function without her. Not even the first time he had been forced into this world had been this intense and nerve-wracking. If it were up to him alone, he would put the van into gear, press his feet down on the pedal, and high tail it out of there. But one look in her face, one look in those bright blue eyes, and on those soft features, and he knew he couldn't leave, not with her still here.

In fact without her he probably wouldn't even have boarded the plane. He would have much rather gone with his sister, and brother-in-law. But she had simply put a hand on his shoulder, and given him an assuring look. He knew she needed him, and he loved her too much to let her do this alone, even if he would have to depend heavily on her to get through this.

Looking outside, he saw only an empty street, the old fence around the building, and darkness. They had been sitting outside this deserted building for the last two hours, and neither of them had even seen the littlest form of live. He looked over to his partner, and saw an annoyed and impatient look on her face, and he couldn't help the small smile that graced his features for just a second. She had never been one to wait.

"Still nothing." She muttered in frustration, running her hand through her blonde manes before they fell back on her black clothing.

He didn't say anything, he knew he didn't have to. Their instructions were clear, they needed to get the scientist that was working here, apparently they wouldn't be able to get to the component without his help. According to his dad's intel it was locked away in a safe in this building, and there was some kind of bio lock on it. Part of him wondered how his dad always knew stuff like that, but he knew better than to ask. There was no way his dad would help him stay in this business after this was over, that was clear enough, not that he wanted to anyway. He just wanted to have a quiet family life with the woman of his dreams. They just needed to get through this first.

Not for the first time he shifted in his seat, and adjusted his shirt. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed as though as the hours passed by, his clothing started to annoy him more and more. Shifting himself for the second time in just as many seconds, he felt the soft comfort of her hand on his shoulder, and felt a light squeeze which was joined by her sweet voice.

"Chuck relax. Together we can do this." She stated in a calming voice, causing him to look at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Trust me, Chuck." She said, her eyes filled with love and confidence for the both of them. Though there was a small hint of worry in there as well.

He gave her a weak nod, knowing that trusting her wouldn't be the problem. Trusting himself was where it was lacking. He felt a deep dread, knowing that if he messed up somehow, that they wouldn't just be in trouble, but she would be the one most likely to pay for it.

Looking at her, those thoughts running through his mind, he again felt the urge to run, and the urge to hurl, but he couldn't tear himself away. After all she was going to do this, the determination was clear. It only made him love her even more, the way she was doing this mostly for his family, and hopefully the family that would be hers one day.

Breaking the connection, he looked back at the deserted streets of this small Italian city, and he wondered how long they would have to wait, and what would be waiting for them. He just hoped that Kayla hadn't told them about finding Borelli's list. If she had, he knew what he would have to do, there was no doubt in his mind about that.

X-X-X-X-X

The wind took hold of her long brown hair. The cool breeze causing her nose to run just the tiniest of bits, while she walked back towards her team. Her team, it still felt weird to say that in this new context. She hadn't even headed up her own team back in her CIA days, but ever since she had her last meeting with the director things had changed.

Somehow they seemed to finally trust her, well at least more than they had before. There was still the vigil eye of Small who was constantly looking over her shoulder, but other than that there was a lot more freedom. Not just was she given her own team now, but she was also given her own hotel room, no more sharing with that disgusting psycho, even if that disgusting psycho was still her partner.

She closed the last few meters of the distance between the sidewalk and the large facility, and quickly entered it, taking a moment to revel in the warmth that washed over her. She looked over to the reception area, and nodded her head to the guard sitting behind it. Well he didn't look like a guard, he just seemed like your average Joe in a suit, working a low grade desk job, but everyone knew he was like a gatekeeper. Just the people that came here for the cover business didn't.

Silently she walked past, and made her way to the small elevators, rather than taking the stairs. She wasn't in the mood for walking up several stories with her high heels on her feet. Tapping her feet impatiently, she glanced at her watch and noticed she only had a minute or two to get up to the meeting. There was no way she could be late. "Come on, come on." She muttered, while she saw the light slowly switching between the different levels.

"Finally." She muttered a minute later, when the elevator finally came down to her level, and the doors parted for her.

She didn't wait for the occupants to get out, and briskly made her way past them. She was done waiting, she had been sitting on her ass for the last few days, meeting her team, meeting with the director, meeting with God knows who. Now it was time for action, now it was time for her to end this ordeal and start her new life, a life away from all this rubbish.

Sighing she leaned back against the wall, fixating her eyes on the level indicator, as the elevator slowly crept up to the level she was expected at. Finally hearing the familiar ding, and seeing the doors slide open, she walked out of the elevator and into the hallway with long strides. Checking every office she passed if it was the one where she was expected to go.

It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for, and without hesitance she walked inside, causing several heads to whip around in her direction, while other people present just kept reading whatever was in front of them.

Taking a moment to settle herself, she placed her briefcase on the desk that was in front of her, and then took in position in front of the white surface that would soon be showing the information she wanted to share with the team, the information that would hopefully bring her the freedom she craved so much.

"Ok listen up." She started with a voice of authority, causing all eyes to be focused on her, and the last few conversations to die down immediately.

"So we spent the last few days getting to know each other a little, now it's time to get to work." She started, making sure she focused her eyes a little on each occupant of the room as she spoke. "Our mission is simple, to capture this man, Charles Bartowski." She continued while she used her thumb to press a small button on the remote that was clutched in her hand, which caused a picture of a curly haired nerd to appear on the wall right next to her.

She heard some snickering and derogative remarks coming from the people in front of her, and she couldn't help the scowl that came over her face.

"Don't underestimate him." She barked. "This man has probably been on more successful missions than you lot combined. Perhaps his alias will garner a more appropriate response, I'm sure you've all heard of the infamous Charles Carmichael." She replied with a light smirk, which intensified slightly when she saw the faces in front of her grow tense.

"Besides, we aren't just looking for Carmichael," She continued after a brief silence. "There is also the matter of his team."

Again her thumb found its way to the small button, this time revealing the picture of a gorgeous blonde and a burly man, causing one man in the room to whistle. "Meet Agents Sarah Walker, and John Casey, both were destined to one day head up their respective agencies, both are worth at least half a dozen of you lot. You'd be wise to take these people seriously." She pressed them.

"Carmichael is to be taken alive, you understand?" She stated in a commanding voice, causing a few heads to merely nod, while others looked in complete silence. After a brief moment, the silence was broken by a low voice.

"What about the rest of them?" He asked in a cold manner.

"Shoot to kill, that includes his father." She replied without hesitance, her eyes focused on the man in front of her. She could not permit anyone to mess this up, she deserved to be free of this hell called the spy life, she deserved more than they had given her.

"His father?" One of only two other female agents in the room questioned her.

"Right." She replied realizing she hadn't mentioned the most infamous agent of them all. "You'll probably know him as Orion."

Once again she saw and felt the tension that grew upon the mentioning of a mere name, and it suddenly started to dawn on her why The Ring never had any success. They either didn't respect their enemy, or they respected them too much.

She saw that someone was about to question her, and she figured it had to do with this new information. "As of yet we don't have any new information on Orion, or the team for that matter. As far as Orion is concerned," She took a moment for a dramatic pause. "I'm the only Ring agent that knows what he looks like. But trust me, he'll be there." She finished, as she looked from agent to agent.

"Now, anymore questions?" She questioned, in a casual way.

Without asking her permission to speak, one agent spoke up. "Where do we start?"

She looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, that matched the way her features had settled. "I got an idea or two where to start." She replied in a dangerously low tone, while the eyes in the room looked at her questioningly.

X-X-X-X-X

Filled with worry and concern she looked at the man next to her. His face was blank, his features seemingly relaxed, but the look he had had in his eyes only moments before spoke volumes to how he was feeling. She hoped he would hold it together for both of their sakes, if not this could go south real fast, and she wasn't sure if she had what it took to get them out of it alone.

Sure she used to be able to take facilities like this down solo, and that in a heartbeat, but he had changed her. She wasn't the ruthless being she once was, she wasn't going to go in there, and just shoot everything to pieces without remorse, no he had made sure that she had a conscious that she was alive again. But in moments like this she missed that ability to just ignore all of that.

The only reason she didn't try to get it back was that in her mind losing him wasn't worth it. Living, or rather existing without him was something she had done before, she wouldn't do it again. So now she just needed him to be there for her, like she knew he could, like she had seen him do so many times before. There was just so much that could make him lose it right there and then, but she hoped that her strength and faith in him would get him through.

_I need you tonight Chuck,_ She silently told herself as she squeezed his hand, not wanting him to hear her desperation, which she was sure would only freak him out even more. She just wished they were someplace else, with him holding her safely in his arms. The outside world just being something that was an annoying memory, something they could both forget in each other. But that hope was not the reality. Instead she was freezing her bum off, in some ratty old van, while hoping and praying for dear life the love of her life would be able to function. Life wasn't giving her much hope right there and then.

Her eyes switched focus, while her breathing seemed far more shallow than it usually did. The darkness of the street was still their only company, with the building looking pretty much deserted, she started to wonder if their information had been correct, or that perhaps The Ring had tipped off the people that worked here.

It didn't help that patience wasn't her strongest point, and that she had always been one for action. Her legs were itching to move, and the only reason she hadn't taken a look outside was because Chuck needed her presence more than that she needed to make a move somewhere.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" She couldn't help but ask in a nearly whiny voice.

He turned his head away from the street so that their eyes could meet again, her cobalt ones meeting his chocolate brown ones, which combined with the slightly amused smile on his face instantly made her heart race, almost making her forget where they were.

"Honey, calm down." He replied softly. "You know these things take time."

"I know." She sighed, "I just hate waiting like this." _Especially when I have to worry about you. _She silently added.

He gave a small shrug, "I always liked spending time so close to you." He said with a smirk.

She couldn't help smacking him in the arm, "Stop it." She said half heartedly, she wanted them to be focused, but she couldn't help being glad to see this side of him in this moment.

He looked in her eyes, clearly searching the truth about her reaction, and after a few seconds he resigned himself. "Right, you're right. I'm sorry." He said dejectedly, turning his head back to the street.

She immediately felt bad, and once again took his hand in hers, "Just for the record Chuck, I always liked spending time with you as well."

He turned his head back, and as he did so, she was greeted by a dazzling Bartowski smile. Before she knew what was happening he had cupped her face, and ever so briefly brushed her soft lips with his. Before pulling back, with a smirk on his face.

"That's not fair!" She exclaimed, a pout on her face.

He let out a small laugh, "Come on Sarah, we need to stay focused." He replied amused, knowing it would only annoy her more.

Once again she smacked him, this time with enough force to make him grunt in discomfort, while she glared at him. "I'll get you back for this." She huffed.

Instead of answering he laughed a little, and turned back to watch the street, and she could feel the tension that had dissipated return. She had missed the playful banter between them, he had always been the one to light up missions with his attitude, and it broke her heart that it seemed as if he was too scared to be himself for longer than a few minutes.

Sighing internally, she returned focus to the street as well, glancing at her watch every few minutes. Finally after 10more minutes, which they spent in near silence, there was some activity. They could clearly make out a handful of men going into the building, and judging by her boyfriend reaction, he was certain that the man they needed was there with them.

"You okay Chuck?" She asked in concern, as he seemed to zone out.

"Huh…? Yeah I'm okay." He replied absentmindedly. "Let's go." He said with such a heavy voice, it only fed her concern.

She felt the distinct urge to first talk to him before they went out there, chiding herself for not doing enough of that in the run up to this moment, but before she had the chance he had already opened the door and started making his way towards the building.

Before she was good and well out of the car, he was already half way there. She wasn't sure what he was doing, this wasn't how they usually did things, normally they would always wait for each other. She wondered if he was scared to be around her in this situation.

She tried to shrug off her thoughts, and close the gap with him. She met with him again near the entrance, and when for a moment she looked at him, she saw such a mixture of emotions in his eyes, she found it difficult to read him. Again she'd much rather wrap her arms around him, but it was too late to turn back now. They had to press on.

Motioning him to follow her, she led him to the metal looking door. She wasn't sure what they would find behind it, and it was another thing that added to her worries. Still she took out her bobby pins and started working on the lock. Unlike normal the lock proved to be a challenge, her stress levels were so high that it was a challenge to keep her motions under control, and there were several moments in which she would have rather thrown away the pins, and just shot the lock to pieces.

Still she persevered, and after an embarrassing amount of attempts, she finally got it, and she had to stifle a celebratory shout, before she started pushing the door open, while she pulled her weapon out of her waistband. As the door opened slowly, it was instantly clear that there was some activity inside. She could hear the muffled sounds over the slightly creaking door.

Stepping inside, she looked behind her, and noticed Chuck following her into the dimly lighted room hesitantly. It seemed as his action from earlier was just a way to camouflage his fears. She figured that at least this version of Chuck wouldn't do anything stupid.

Tightening her grip on her weapon, she started making her way through the near darkness. Trying to orientate herself by going towards the sound. She wasn't even sure what was there, or how many people were here. It was just the best bet they had.

The hallway was narrow, if she would spread out her hands she could touch both cold concrete walls, that were the same grey color as the cold floors. Every once in a while they would come across a wooden door, that seemed like they were in a serious state of decay. It was clear that the people that had once lived there, had left a long time ago.

Occasionally she would look back, trying to find his eyes, trying to read his mood. His eyes seemed darker than she had ever seen them, and she could see his face contorted in fear. After looking for what had to be a tenth time, while they still were far enough from the sounds to be certain no one would hear them, she turned back to him and started whispering to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked him quietly.

"Yeah." He breathed barely audible.

"Perhaps we should head back." She mused in a whisper.

"We can't." He voiced with a slightly stronger voice, though there was still a slight tremor audible. "I'm fine I promise." He said in response to the look on her face.

She looked at him skeptically for a few seconds, weighing their options. She wasn't sure how much time they had, or how many chances they would have. Could she risk it all, on the fear that he was going to crack, like he had done when she had started dating Shaw, or even worse?

Without saying a word, she turned back, moving towards the sounds again, the internal battle not ending. She just couldn't go back, he wouldn't allow her anyway.

Finally they reached another door, this one was at the end of the hallway, instead of on the sides. The blue door looked to be in a better state than the ones they had passed on their way there. She felt her heart racing at the thought of what could be on the other side.

She placed her warm hand on the cold metal of the door lever, and started pushing it down. The door slid aside easily, revealing a long wooden staircase heading down into a basement area.

She could feel his hesitance when they started going down the stairs. His feet were clearly unsteady, and the banister was shaking lightly. Thankfully it didn't take them long to reach the bottom of the stairs, which revealed a lab like structure. She hadn't seen anything like this since the time Cole had been in town.

Looking around she tried to navigate her way through the maze of computers and other equipment of which she had no idea what they did. When she looked for Chuck, he was constantly a few feet behind her. Unlike normal, he didn't seem at all interested in what he found, while she had hoped somewhat on a nerdgasm upon what they had found.

The only light in the area seemed to come from the computer screens and the appliances. Which almost made enough sound to drone out the faint noise of speech coming from further down the room. She figured that considering there weren't any people around, and there weren't any in view, this either was an elaborate roux, or there was another room back there.

Walking carefully, constantly checking around her, she reached another door without any trouble. In fact, she almost started to wonder why she had been worried in the first place.

She listened intently, and could hear some pretty fiery conversations from the other side. Figuring it was relatively safe, she looked at Chuck, and softly told him to cover her. He nodded at her with a pained look on his face, and without giving it a second thought, she flung open the door. And as soon as she did all hell broke loose.

She jumped into the door opening, trying to make some way inside, the occupants of the room looking at her with bewilderment in their eyes for a few seconds, giving her a chance to fire her weapon at two of them, who both went down in a scream, clutching their wounds.

Seeing their comrade fall, the other 5men in the room reached for their own weapons, jumped to cover, and started firing at her. As soon as the first person drew a weapon, she jumped back, trying urgently to get herself out of the room so she could get some cover, while she wondered what her boyfriend was doing.

Basking in the relative safety of the other room, she looked to her side, only to see Chuck barely holding it together, sitting against the wall. He was about to lose it completely and wrap his arms around his legs, and she knew she had to act fast to help him through this.

"Chuck!" She shouted over the sound of gunfire, but he barely seemed to notice.

"Chuck!" She repeated, again without response. It took another try for him to look at her. She barely recognized his eyes, when she looked into them, trying to search for something there.

"I need you Chuck!" She shouted, just before she reached around the wall to fire into the room. When she pulled back again, she saw him still sitting in the same place, though his eyes seemed a little more alive.

"Please, Chuck." She begged in near desperation, not sure what to do to get him out of this, wishing that she could call Ellie and ask her what to do.

She fired another few rounds into the room, before looking back towards the curly haired nerd, who seemed to snap out of it a little.

"Come on Chuck." She pleaded. "I need you to do this, together we can do this."

He looked at her and their eyes met, she could see a few tears brim in his. She desperately wanted to comfort him for his pain, but he needed her to be his handler right now, they both needed her to be the one thing they wished they could leave behind.

There was a short lull in the shooting, as their eyes stayed connected, "You can do this Chuck." She stated softly.

Finally he seemed to snap out of it, as he picked up his weapon, before he started hoisting himself to his feet. She felt a wave of emotion come over her, and momentarily cursed him for putting her through all of this, for making her feel all of this, or anything at all for that matter. Life had been so much simpler before she had met him.

She looked at him, and gave him the slightest of nods, signaling that he was to cover her while she made her next move. She turned towards the door, and was about to take aim, when she felt something connect with her weapon, forcing it out of her hands. Before she knew what was happening, she felt a hand pulling her into the room, and a knee connecting with her abdomen, forcing the air out of her lungs.

The man clearly had not taken her partner into account, as he was quickly hit by a dart, which stuck out against his white skin.

She was still lurched over, when she saw the other man that was close by. Without giving it a second thought, she grabbed one of the knives out of her ankle holsters, and threw it at him, causing the man to go down in a loud groan.

Carefully, and with her hands raised protectively, while Chuck was walking only a few inches behind her to protect her with his tranq gun, she walked further into the room. She found the remainder of the men on the floor, three were dead, and the other two were wounded.

She walked up to one of the bleeding men, pulled him up by his collar, and put one of her knifes to his throat. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." She started, as she pressed the cold steel into his skin, just the tiniest of bits.

"Where is the device you were making for the Ring?" She asked in a threatening voice.

Weakly the man pointed to one of the boxes on the table. Without giving it a second thought, Chuck walked up to it, and looked for a way to open it. When he couldn't find it, he turned towards the man.

"How do you open it?" He asked in a slightly shaky voice.

The man wiggled the thumb of his good arm in the air for a brief moment.

Chuck picked up the box, and carefully threw it towards Sarah who had put out her hand. She caught the box without trouble, and put it in front of the guy. "Open it." She ordered.

He pressed his thumb on the surface, and the small box immediately opened, revealing a small silver object. Instead of focusing any longer on the guy, she looked at her favorite nerd. "Any way to check if this is real?" She asked in a low voice.

"Dad should be able to." He replied hopefully.

She gave him a curt nod, before turning her attention back to her victim. "You better hope this is the real deal, because if it's not, I will find you." She said through gritted teeth, just before she pulled back the hand that held the knife in it, and knocked him out, while Chuck took care of the other guy by tranqing him.

"Let's get out of here Chuck." She stated simply, as she turned her back, and started to make her way for the exit, desperate to get somewhere quiet, where she could try to bring the one she loved some comfort.

X-X-X-X-X

She was sitting across from an extremely anxious looking director. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but judging by the time he had demanded she'd come into the office, his dishelved look, the whiskey bottle on his desk, and the presence of small, something must have gone wrong. This was not the look of a man that was about to win a war.

He instead turned to her, his eyes filled with panic, it was in fact the first time that she'd seen him when he wasn't in complete control. With desperation he spoke, "You better have something good Mitchell, because if not, all of us are doomed." He said, his slick voice now sounding far more like that of the agent sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea what you are talking about." She said apologetically, though she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to question him. Luckily Small actually agreed with her for a change. "Sir, you haven't even told us what's going on."

"What's going on? What's going on?" He repeated, his voice rising slowly with each word.

"I'll tell you what's going on." He said in a low voice. "Carmichael, or Bartowski or whatever just hit us in two different places, basically ending our chance for a working intersect."

Kayla looked at him in shock, so they had ignored the fact that she knew about it. She had hoped they would mess up like this. "Sir, where did they hit us?" She questioned carefully.

He waved at his desk in response, signaling her to read the small note that was placed on his desk.

"This is good news sir." She replied after studying the note. Causing him to glare at her.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded in a gruff voice.

"I know exactly where Bartowski is going to hit next." She replied, leaving both men in the room to look at her in wonder.

X-X-X-X-X

She looked to the sleeping form that was mostly covered by the blankets on the bed. Her heart broke just thinking about what she had seen in his eyes earlier, in fact it was the reason she hadn't been able to sleep yet. Not even being in his arms had helped her getting the rest she desired, because she knew that there was something going on in that head of his that she couldn't help, not as long as they were in this situation.

It only made her more desperate to get him out of it. She had already considered running, but she had learned the hard way that he wasn't the one to do that, especially not with so much at stake. Tonight she had been able to pull him through, but she was far from certain that she would be able to do it again.

Sighing slightly, she pulled her phone out of her jean pocket, and looked up the phone number she thought she needed. She needed some advice from someone that knew Chuck, but had no other interest to serve other than doing what was right.

Without a second thought, she dialed the number, and after just a few rings, she heard the person on the other side. "This better be good Walker." She heard the gruff voice say.

"John, we've got a problem." She stated earnestly. "I don't think Chuck can handle it anymore, he basically shut off during the mission today."

"What do you mean shut off?" Casey asked cautiously.

"It was like he was in a world of his own John, I've never seen him like that. I'm not sure if we should abandon the mission or something." She said wearily.

She heard a small grunt followed by a short silence. "We have to continue Walker."

"I know." She sighed, "I'm just worried. What if this happens again, and I can't save him?"

"I don't know. All you can do is trust the kid, and hope he's become what he was trained to be." Came the surprisingly soft reply.

"Go get some sack time Walker." The man told her in his usual style. "You and the kid will need it." And before she could say another word he had already ended the call.

She looked at the bed, and the form already sleeping in it, and debated with herself if she should really go to sleep. Ultimately her fatigue won, and she started walking over to the bed. When she snuggled into him again, she softly spoke. "Please help me Chuck, I can't do this without you."

She felt him stir a little, as she finally dozed off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

A light drizzle was falling from the sky as she walked through the relatively quiet streets of the metropolitan area. Her hair was slightly damp, and her clothes eyed darker in the penetrating street lights. But she hardly seemed to notice, in fact she didn't notice much of anything, her mind was still spinning with everything that had happened recently. She wasn't sure of anything anymore, that was all that stood out. That, and the fact that she wanted nothing more than to quit this lifestyle.

She let out a small breath of air, running her finger through her short bangs for just a fleeting second, before burying them deep in her pocket again. She didn't want to do this, a part of her still tried to fight her, and it was the part she usually listened to. It was her instinct that wanted nothing more than to run, or perhaps even just go along to ultimately betray the people she claimed to be working for now.

But then, every time she was close to doing just that her mind flashed to two simple things. She just couldn't lose the image of Beckman, and the betrayal that portrayed, not just the betrayal that people had done to her, but also the one that she had done to the red haired woman. She wasn't sure how she could ever go back after that, Orion had forced it down her throat to go in without further CIA support, and in her foolishness she had figured they would make sure she'd be okay. She still couldn't believe they had played her like a sucker, she hadn't even heard from Morgan in days, in her mind that was all the information she needed.

And even if she could go back, or if Chuck would come to help her, she wasn't sure what she should do about her brother if they did. She wasn't sure what side she had to believe when it came to that, hell she wasn't even sure if he was alive, but in order to survive she didn't want to think about that. She was grasping at straws, and she knew it, but if there was a chance to get them both out of this, and give the both of them the live they deserve, that especially he deserved, she needed to do this. She'd have to destroy Chuck, even if it was the last thing she did.

It wasn't something that brought her pride or satisfaction, in fact she felt sick to her stomach most of the time, but she could never show it to the people around her. One moment of hesitance and the deal could be off the table, one moment of hesitance and they both could be dead. No, no matter what she was going to do, wither it be help The Ring, or help Chuck, she had to keep her cool, she had to put her brother first, she owed him that much.

Suddenly she felt the distinct feeling that someone was following her wash over her. Slowly but steadily she started picking up the pace, lengthening her steps, as she increased the ferocity of them. Adding just that little bit of extra energy she had left in her strides.

She turned a few corners, heading away from the place she was staying, not wanting anyone to know her exact whereabouts. She looked over her shoulder, and saw a distinct mop of raven colored hair. Again she turned a corner, this one leading into a dark alley. In the middle of the alley she could see a large metal dumpster. Quietly she squatted behind it, slipped one of her knives out of the ankle holster she had strapped on, and clutched the cold metal tightly.

The rhythmic beating of feet hitting concrete was continuously getting closer, and she could feel adrenaline pumping through her system a little which was clearly mixed with a anger, as she wondered what the hell he was doing here. Why on earth he would show up now? Did they know about what was going through her?

The grip on her knife tightened just the tiniest bit, as she saw the shadow appear in front of her. She held in her breath, not wanting to give anything away, as the figure seemed to almost crawl towards her. As soon as the figure appeared in front of her, she grabbed his arm, spinned him, almost snapped his arm by the torque of her movement, and pressed the cold edge of her blade against his neck.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She growled in his ear, as the knife buried itself a little in the skin of her visitor.

X-X-X-X-X

Her worried eyes roamed the sleeping form that was covered by the thick layer of blankets. He had spent most of the night going from the one nightmare to the other, and all she could do was look on hopelessly. Not even her presence around him had helped much, she wasn't quite sure what to do. Not for the first time she wished Ellie was there, as selfish as it was, she just needed some help with this.

"Man up Walker." She muttered to herself, as she kept her eyes on the curly haired nerd in front of her. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the last 30minutes he had been relatively quiet, his breathing steady, and he had been relatively still.

Quietly she moved herself from the small chair, to the bed, and sat herself down on the small edge that was clear. She moved her hand from her side, and slowly ran it down his face, her fingertips caressing his curly brown hair, as she could feel the slight hint of moist come in contact with the palm of her hand.

She let out a shaky breath, as she kept her hand still on the side of his face. "I need you Chuck." She whispered mostly to herself, though in no small part she wanted him to hear that as well.

She kept her stare fixated on him, as she felt her own heart break a little, while she mused about how much she missed his dazzling smile, the one that almost made her heart stop entirely. Just like the night before, she could feel him stir, but this time his eyes started to flutter, and moment later she was greeted by the sight of his chocolate brown eyes.

As always she felt her heart flutter when their eyes met, even through all the concern she felt, it was her love for him that stood out above all else.

"Morning Chuck." She said softly, hoping that in that second she was able to keep her worries out of her voice.

"Morning." He replied in a raspy voice, while he slowly sat up.

"Did you sleep okay?" She asked, despite knowing the answer. She really was just stalling for time.

He eyed her cautiously, "It was okay." He muttered after a few seconds, causing her to let out a frustrated sigh, he clearly wasn't going to make this easy on her.

Placing her hand on his, she gazed into his eyes, as she felt nerves that seemed unfamiliar to her.

"What happened last night Chuck?" She asked cautiously.

She could clearly see the conflict in his eyes, but after a long moment he seemed to relent. "I'm not sure." He replied hesitantly. "It just became too much to handle somehow."

Her eyes kept his, and she was grateful that he didn't divert his eyes. "What did?" She asked caution still clearly the most important thing, while she gave his hand a light squeeze.

"Everything." He stated, his voice breaking just a little. "I just don't know how to do it anymore, Sarah."

She moved her free hand to his face, and caressed it lightly, as her eyes bore into his. She could feel the weight pulling on her heart, as she could feel his pain.

"I know these last few weeks have been hard on you Chuck." She started, her voice thick with emotion, "And I know you hated killing Shaw, and what happened with Beckman, but we need you. I need you." She stated pleadingly.

He looked at her for a moment before he responded. "You think this is just about Shaw and Beckman?" He asked incredulously.

She couldn't help it when her eyes widened just a little bit, she was about to speak but he had already beaten her to it.

"It's everything, it's everything that has happened with my parents, Ellie, Devon, Morgan, ab.." He stopped abruptly mid sentence, and took a moment to pause and look at her, as if he was scared of what would happen if he continued, but after taking a deep breath he continued. "It's about you, it's about us, about everything that has happened between us this last year."

She felt as if his words cut right through her, she couldn't believe that she had forgotten about what had happened just a little while before, with the intersect malfunctioning, and the huge part their problems had had on that.

"Chuck,-" She started, but he interrupted her.

"I know you're sorry Sarah, but that doesn't change what has happened." He said remorsefully. "Despite everything that has happened, these last few weeks have been amazing, but I just can't look past what has happened. I can't forget the broken look on your face in Prague, or the cold way you treated me when I got back, and most of all I can't get the image of you telling your name to _him_ out of my mind, it's as vivid as when I was forced to kill Shaw, it's as vivid as you sitting here." He said with a broken voice, a stray tear making his way down his cheek, while she sat in front of him silently.

She wasn't sure what to say, he named a few things that had been on her mind as well, especially the name issue. It should have been their moment, their great moment of love and trust, but she had let herself be guided by a desperation to feel a connection with someone, that she had cheapened it. She wished she could change it back, that she could make it that special moment it should have been, but she couldn't.

His broken voice broke through her thoughts. "I just can't handle this lifestyle anymore Sarah, and I'm not sure if I can leave this all behind me, if I can forget everything."

As blue met brown, she could feel a few tears prick in her eyes, guilt seeping through her body. Part of her just wanted to hold him, and comfort him, but she knew he needed something else.

"I know I hurt you Chuck, there is so much I wish I could change." She stated earnestly, her voice now sounding as broken as his did.

"But you can't, can you?" He stated, his voice soft, while this time he ran his hand down her soft skin. "We can't change what has happened, we can't change that somehow you've never really trusted me with your heart, while you trusted _him _in a matter of weeks."

"You don't understand Chuck." She choked out.

"Then make me understand." He pleaded softly.

Taking a deep breath she could feel his eyes bore into hers. She desperately tried to gain some composure, as she knew that this was one of those pivotal moments that could define their relationship, and could determine her future. If she couldn't explain this somehow, she wasn't sure what she'd do. One thing stood out above all else in her life, she needed him.

X-X-X-X-X

"What the hell are you doing here?" She growled in his ear, as the knife buried itself a little in the skin of her visitor.

Her eyes glanced to the blade just momentarily, and she could see just the tiniest amount of blood trickle down the sharp steel. Almost feeling the tiniest bit of guilt she eased the pressure just a little, before she spoke again.

"I told you to stay away." She bit at him.

"I know… I know." He rushed out, his breathing slightly hitched due to the uncomfortable feeling she was causing him. "I just… Just hear me out okay?"

She wasn't sure what to think, part of her wanted to scold him, sent him home, tell him to get lost, and threaten him with severe bodily harm kind of like Casey used to do, but a part of her was intrigued.

"Talk." She growled, while she kept him in the extremely uncomfortable situation.

She could feel him hesitate before speaking, so she twisted his arm a little further, which caused him to flinch. "I said talk." She bit at him.

"You're wrong about everything." He ultimately choked out. "Nothing is as it seems."

She remained silent, not entirely sure what he was getting at. Was this about Beckman? Or perhaps something else?

Desperate to get out of the position he was in, Morgan began explaining what had happened, and as he did so her own confusion only grew. All she knew was what she saw, the rest was a game of lies and manipulation, her experience had taught her that much. She wasn't sure if she could believe either side.

"Why should I believe you Morgan?" She questioned, while she alleviated the pressure on him just a little.

"You know me Kayla." He said as soothingly as his position allowed. "I'm not a spy, I'm just a guy that works at a buy more, who's best friend is a spy."

She pondered his words, and once again weighed them. He seemed sincere, the only problem was that it wasn't just Morgan, they could have just as easily lied to him. Still she finally released her grip, causing him to let out a breath in relief.

"Thank you." He breathed, a small smile gracing his bearded features.

"Walk away Morgan" She said while turning away from him, making sure she didn't see his face fall.

"Wait.. what?" He sputtered, "You are going back to The Ring, after everything I told you?"

This time she looked back over her shoulder, giving him a remorseful smile. "You need to leave Morgan, this isn't where you belong."

She took a few steps, and then stopped. "You deserve better than this life Morgan. Just do me this one favor, go somewhere safe and make sure you're happy."

Without waiting for him to answer, she walked away. The light drizzle slowly transforming in a shower. But just like before she hardly noticed, her thoughts were too important, and too confusing to care anyway.

X-X-X-X-X

She wasn't sure if her voice was still audible, all she knew was that she had to try. She could not have him spent his life broken because of something she had done, even if it had been the biggest mistake of her life.

"I was desperate." She admitted with a slight quiver in her voice. "I was so lost without you." She choked out, a few tears starting to make their way down her angelic face.

"I was still there." He said quietly, while he softly brushed away one of her tears.

"But you weren't, not to me." She choked out. "I thought you had changed. I thought you weren't you anymore, and I felt so guilty because I had helped you change. I could hardly face you on missions Chuck, how would I ever face you outside of them?" She questioned, while she looked at him.

When he didn't answer her, she continued. "You meant so much to me Chuck, you still do. You made me a person again, you made me feel things I hadn't felt since my mom left all those years ago. When I thought I lost you, I thought I had lost myself again, I thought I would never have those feelings again, that I would become that robot again. So when Shaw arrived, I hoped somehow I could create that connection, that I could somehow hold onto those feelings." She said, having trouble to continue looking at him as she did so.

Seeing his eyes, she felt compelled to continue. "I know it was stupid, but I felt so lost because of what I did to us when you got back. I just wanted to feel close to you, and I wasn't sure how to anymore. You deserved so much better from me Chuck, me telling my name should have been our moment, and every day I regret you not being the one that I told it to." She said, more tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Chuck." She said in a voice almost softer than a whisper, when she finally diverted her eyes from his, as she allowed her head to fall as she heaved a little.

He gently placed his hand on her chin, and forced her to look at him in the most gentle way possible. She was almost surprised by the softness of his face.

"I can't explain how much it hurt when you told _him_ your name, when all I wanted was your trust. When all I wanted at that time was that connection we had before…" He started in a quiet tone, before taking a moment to continue, clearly composing himself. "Before I broke your heart. But hearing you were desperate for that as well, it made me understand it."

She looked at him questioningly, feeling a little hope mix with the love and hurt about what had happened.

"I don't agree with what you did, but I think I'm starting to understand." Again he paused, this time looking at her with a pensive look. "But there is something you need to understand Sarah. All I ever wanted from you, all I ever needed was your heart. I just want you to trust me with everything about you, not about the spy life, not about anything else, just trust me when it comes to… Sam." He finished, barely able to get her name out of his mouth, and again she felt guilt rush through her, and again it was mixed with other emotions.

"It's not Sam, Chuck." She stated quietly.

"What?" He blurted out in shock. "But I thought you said…" He said, leaving his voice trailing, as he did so.

"I know." She said ruefully. "And my real name was Sam, at least my parents once called me Sam. But it's been Sarah since we met."

He gave her a wry smile. "I appreciate it Sarah, but we both know that it isn't the same."

"I know." She admitted in a low voice. "But it's how I feel, and it's who I want to be. I want to be Sarah, I want to be your Sarah. I want you to have my heart Chuck, I want you to complete it."

Before she knew what was happening she felt his lips crash unto hers, as he quickly deepened the kiss, his tongue begging her for access, which she gladly granted.

He momentarily pulled back, resting his head unto hers. "Thank you, _Sarah_. Thank you for trusting me."


	18. Chapter 18

His heart rate was slightly elevated, adrenaline being pumped through his system, the moist and cold of the ground penetrating his clothes, as the darkness of the night surrounded the both of them. The sky above the mansion was only partially clouded, which had meant that their entrance had to be perfectly timed. So they had spent the first two hours of the mission in perfect silence, just observing the few guards making their rounds.

The mansion actually reminded him a little of their old base in Rome, it was even surrounded by a mixture of wood and swamp lands. Now they were in a ditch, just below the grass hill leading up to one of the side windows, which according to their limited surveillance was the least well defended place in the mansion.

Silently he peeked over the edge, as he hoped that their talk from a day earlier would help him through this. He had felt a lot better now, though the fear he usually felt before a mission was slightly intensified because of his more recent experiences.

Still ever since they had talked about certain things, okay if he was fair she had done most of the talking, he had felt more like himself. For the first time since downloading the 2.0 he felt as if things were somehow more in his control. For the first time it wasn't like they were on a rollercoaster that had surged out of control. Even if leaving what had happened between them seemed hard to leave it behind them. Deep down he wanted nothing more than to forgot about what had happened, but they had to deal with that truth. He wasn't sure if he'd ever fully understand what had gone through her head at that time, hell he was quite certain she didn't completely understand it herself, but he wanted to leave it behind them. He didn't want those few moments to define them for the rest of their lives.

Silently he looked at his watch, and exhaled the breath that had been stored deep in his lungs, while his eyes momentarily switched focus from his watch to his girlfriend that was crouched down next to him. The concern was obvious in her eyes, but he felt better than the last time they were in this position. In fact, he was feeling more determined than anything else. He would not risk her again, that stood out above all else, he wanted her safe, he needed her safe.

He tore his eyes away from her reluctantly, and once again peeked over the edge, only to see two shadows, which were created by the dim artificial light from the house, slowly removing themselves from their surroundings. Feeling his stomach tighten, and his heart rate slowly rising, he looked at her, both nodding at the same time.

Before he knew what was happening, he was over the top of the ridge, and momentarily noticed if this tension he was feeling was comparable to those that went over the top in times that had long passed, but before his thoughts could become coherent, they had reached their temporary destination.

Not wasting any time, she set to work on opening the window, while he waited patiently, kneeling in the flower beds beneath the window, as he kept his senses focused, determined to notice anything that would come.

He momentarily glanced at her face, and could see the tension clearly in it. She seemed in a darker mood than he had ever seen her on a mission, she usually seemed in her element, but it was like she knew something was going to go wrong. Her eyes were a shade darker than usual, her features were tense, and her body seemed rigid. The last time they were in this situation something nearly had, so he couldn't blame her, still he felt uneasy knowing she was not herself. He didn't want to think about doing this without her on her a-game.

Still she created an entry for them without too much trouble, and before he could say a word, she had moved herself inside. Only seconds later he heard her muffled voice give the all clear, and he followed her, scraping his exposed hands on the structure as he pushed himself into the house.

With a barely audible dud his feet hit the soft carpet that was strewn out over the floor of the dark room. Both took out their respective weapons, and held their breaths, looking at the door in worry, hoping that they hadn't triggered some sort of alarm. When things remained quiet, they looked at each other, and with the briefest of nods, they both knew what they were expected to do.

Maintaining complete silence, they walked towards the closed door, where Sarah placed her long sleek fingers on the knob, as he couldn't help the uneasy feeling he felt building in his stomach.

X-X-X-X-X

She almost shook her head in disbelief. There it was, her team had barely been in place for a day, and apparently they had already struck gold. The message that was on her screen said enough. She couldn't believe that they were this lucky, or perhaps it was because of the other side's desperation.

Either way, this was her chance, her chance to end her involvement in this world that disgusted her beyond words. So she finally shrugged off the surprise that she felt, and looked to the person she had chosen to lead the other team.

"Let's move out." She said in a stern tone. "Remember, keep the target in one piece."

"Roger that." The low voice replied, before the bulky agent stalked off.

She saw his form disappearing and wondered if her plan would work, and if it did if she would get what she wanted. She needed this to go off without a hitch, but that meant Chuck would have to react just the way she anticipated. Nothing could go wrong, not when she had gotten this far. Regardless of how quickly they had found their targets, she needed this to be over.

Taking another glance at the message on her phone, she let a small grin form on her face, and stalked off towards her team. This would work, she would make sure of it.

X-X-X-X-X

Only the sound of his fingers hitting the keys of the computer in front of him, which itself gave of a light humming sound, while she rummaged through some of the papers that were scattered across the room. Occasionally she would sent him a hurried look, pleading him, nearly begging him to move it a long faster.

He let out a barely audible sigh, as he hit another password. He barely resisted the urge to slam his hand into the keyboard in front of him. He should have opted to do this differently he realized, he should have just copied the hard drive, plant a virus, and get the hell out of there. But he had insisted to do it this way, wanting to make sure every last file was deleted.

Not to mention the ever so frustrating fact that the case was so well fortified that breaking into it would be an arduous task. In fact it would require some of Casey's most prized possessions to get through the thick titanium casing, which was bolted to the ground. Whoever was working on this definitely knew what he was doing.

"Come on." He whisper shouted in frustration, when he hit another one as soon as he had bypassed the previous round of security.

He couldn't believe how meticulous these people had been, and he wondered if perhaps he was being led on a wild goose chase down the rabbit hole. Worriedly he glanced at the blonde in the room, and he could see the same tenseness he was feeling on her face. There was no telling how much time they had left.

A few sounds from outside the room invaded his ears, and he once again looked at her filled with worry. Her features were tense, while her hand started clutching the cold steel of her Smith & Wesson tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.

She threw him another pointed look, and silently hissed at him. "Come on, hurry up."

He immediately set back to work, while another sound filled the air. This time he didn't look up, but kept his eyes focused on the screen in front of him. A few small beads of sweet were forming on his forehead.

"Come on, come on." He muttered once again, while his fingers flew over the keys. He wasn't sure how long they had left but by the sound of it, this could go south real fast.

He tried to focus on his work, when once again a foreign sound filled the air. It seemed like the muffled sound of commands being shouted. Soon followed by the sound of the blonde agent creeping to the window.

Just seconds later, he felt someone grab him by the shoulder and pulling him to his feet. He looked up slightly startled, and was greeted with familiar blue eyes, though he had rarely seen them darker than they were in that moment. He didn't like the feeling that instilled in him at all.

"We got to go." She said quietly, though she couldn't keep the panic out of her voice completely.

He started to nod his head, but then changed his mind. "Wait, what about the software?"

"We don't have the time." She hissed. "The ring is outside Chuck. We either move now, or…" She let her voice trail, obviously not wanting to consider the possibility of what would happen if either would be killed, or worse captured.

Before he even had time to reply, she was already dragging him out of the room by pulling him along by his arm, while her other arm was still firmly clasping her weapon.

They rushed through to the house in a blur, while he had no idea where they were going, other than outside the house, she was quick on her feet, making turns whenever they deemed appropriate, and almost running through the house.

From time to time he was slightly startled by the sounds around them, but she just kept forcing through headlong. Seemingly not caring, and before he knew what was happening they had traded the old carpeted hall ways for the cool night sky.

Usually this was the part of the missions he enjoyed, the relief of being outside safe and sound washing over him, a brief glance and smile to a certain blonde, and then on to eat some sizzling shrimp with his buddy or perhaps a movie night with said blonde. Now though, they were still in a frantic mode, she was looking around slightly panicky, and he couldn't help but do the same. He had to get his head into this game, he had to make sure she could depend on him, and that she would remain safe.

He heard some people stumbling around the corner, and he looked at her worriedly for a brief second. "We need to go." He hissed.

As always she proved to be a person of action, as she darted of towards the tree line in front of them, leaving him no choice to follow her, he thanked his lucky stars when they finally reached the relative cover and safety of the trees. They continued walking in a quick pace for a few more minutes, both silent except for their ragged breathing, before she stopped in the middle of the woods, looking over to him.

"How the hell did they get here so fast?" She asked in a low voice, disbelief and anger clearly emanating through her voice.

He was silent for a second before answering. "Kayla must have told them about the list." He stated matter of factly.

"Great." She muttered in reply. Pausing a moment clearly in thought, before she continued. "We need to warn Casey."

He looked at her, realizing she was right. It wasn't like the Ring to a half assed job. He pulled out his phone, and looked at it, while she did the same. "Damn it." He sighed "No signal."

He looked over and saw her look at her phone full of dismay, "We need to find a landline and do it fast." She ultimately said.

Again she didn't wait for him to react, but started walking immediately. The pace a lot higher than he was used to, but thanks to his long legs he was able to keep up, despite the lack of conditioning and working out showing through thanks to his breathing that was growing increasingly ragged.

Still in her he could see nothing but sheer determination. Her eyes were trained a head, and would only divert when she momentarily glanced backwards, her eyes filled with tenseness and worry over the situation, especially when that look was preceded by vague sounds that filled the air.

He was vaguely aware of the trees they passed, the ground moving under his feet, and the surrounding constantly shifting. All he could think of was monitor her, she was still his guide, he couldn't help it. Not to mention that he wanted nothing but to see her through this situation.

Suddenly she froze in place, causing him to stumble into her, eliciting a groan from the both of them.

"What is it?" He questioned in a harsh whisper.

She gave him a stern look, silencing him instantly, and causing his concern to grow. He had rarely seen her like this. His eyes started to look around more, and he saw a small group of rocks, with an equally small looking cave. Other than that, there was nothing but trees and emptiness surrounding them, at least in his mind. She only seemed to grow tenser with the second.

She turned several times in a matter of seconds, and then turned to face him again. "I think they have us surrounded." She said in a low voice.

"What? I don't see anything." He exclaimed as softly as his surprise allowed him, earning him another stern look.

"Just trust me Chuck, they're there." She took a moment to look at him, worry and concern flashed through her eyes, and there was something he hadn't seen before. Panic. He had never seen her like this.

"You got your tranq gun right?" She asked him.

He didn't answer her question, instead he questioned her. "Why don't we just hide?" He asked her, his words falling out of his mouth faster than usual.

"They know we're here Chuck." She said dejectedly. "There is no way they would leave this place without you."

He placed his quivering hand on his weapon, as he looked around once more. It was the first time he was hearing the same sound she must have been hearing all along. He knew he needed to do something. There was no way he would allow her to die.

Once again his look lingered on the cave, he figured it had to be big enough to hide one person in it. Quickly he glanced between the blonde in front of him, and the small opening to his side. Resigning himself, he shakily raised his weapon, and placed it close to her neck.

"I love you Sarah." He whispered into her ear softly, just as he fired a first dart.

She had just enough time to whip her head around a little, and as she started to fall to the ground he could see the shock in her eyes, her mouth slightly agape, clearly wanting to say something.

As soon as she hit the ground he hovered over her. "I'm sorry Sarah." He said with a slight shiver in his voice, as he started to pick her up to relocate her now limp form.

It only took her a few dozen seconds to place her in a completely concealed location, but by the time he was done, he could clearly make out the first Ring agents that were closing in on them. Not wanting them to find her completely helpless, he started to make a run for it. Wanting to put as much distance between him and her as he could.

He was sure his feet had never gone as fast as they were going in that moment, but he could still hear them closing in. After running for another few minutes, he stopped, and looked around. She had been right, there was really was no place to run from them this time. Resigning himself, he looked back, and could see that they were mere feet away from him.

"Hello Chuck." He heard a familiar voice say, causing his head to whip around.

"Why are you doing this Kayla?" He questioned harshly, momentarily he tried to look for his options, but there were already ring agents all around him.

"You know why." She stated simply, before she turned her look to a few of the agents that surrounded him.

"You four take care of mister Bartowski here. We'll continue to look for Walker." She ordered in a voice that didn't hide her happiness.

He looked at her in disgust, as he felt the cold steel of cuffs hit his wrists. "You aren't going to get away with this Kayla." He bit at her, as he got pushed past her.

Instead of a response, all he heard was an order to move out, and a distinct remark that they were free to shoot at anything.


End file.
